During the recent global pandemic and associated lock-downs, Chloe Dalton left London for the English countryside. Here she unexpectedly encountered a newly born, and quite vulnerable, leveret. (A young hare. To be precise, a European brown hare, Lepus europaeus.)
After sheltering the animal, Dalton intended to return it to where she found it. However, she received advice from a local conservationist, and made the decision to nurture the creature instead. The frantic rhythm and pace of Dalton’s regular world, already slowed by the pandemic, would be further transformed and relaxed by the profound experience of caring for the leveret.
Although much of the book is a fact-driven recount, there are regular moments of personal nuance. With regular references to poetry and literature (related to hares, of course), Raising Hare is an affecting memoir. Even something every day – considering if long, dry grass would be suitable as temporary bedding for the leveret – is experienced, interpreted and expressed with gentle poetry.
Despite not giving the leveret a name, the experience with the creature left strong impressions: the indentation in the carpet, a few whiskers, tufts of fur, and damp footprints. However, it’s the emotional impact and the personal lessons learned that are at the heart of Raising Hare. Patience and soothing, the dignity and persuasiveness of silence, a glimpse into a different and rich life, savouring beautiful, fleeting experiences and the mysterious sensation of wonder.
Reviewed by Mark Parry
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHORChloe Dalton is a bestselling author and foreign policy advisor. She spent over a decade working in the UK Parliament and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and has advised, and written for and with, numerous prominent figures. She divides her time between London and her home in the English countryside. A graduate of Oriel College, Oxford University, Chloe recently completed an MBA at Oxford’s Said Business School.
Her debut book, Raising Hare, was an instant Sunday Times Bestseller and was recently long listed for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction 2025 and shortlisted for the Hatchard’s Best First Biography Prize, as well as Waterstones Book of the Year 2024. Raising Hare was also a Book of the Year for the Hay Festival, Sunday Times, The Times, Financial Times and Spectator.
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