Raising Hare - by Chloe Dalton (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK - NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - FINALIST FOR THE 2025 WOMEN'S PRIZE - A fascinating meditation on freedom, trust, loss, and our relationship with the natural world, explored through the story of one woman's unlikely friendship with a wild hare.

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, TIME, The Boston Globe, The Economist, Scientific American, Slate

"Moving. . . . Impart[s] valuable lessons about slowing down and the beauty in the unexpected."--USA Today

"A perfect testimony to the transformative power of love."--Margaret Renkl, author of The Comfort of Crows

Imagine you could hold a baby hare and bottle-feed it. Imagine that it lived under your roof and bounded around your bedroom at night, drumming on the duvet cover when it wanted your attention. Imagine that, more than two years later, it still ran in from the fields when you called it and slept in your house for hours on end. For political advisor and speechwriter Chloe Dalton, who spent lockdown deep in the English countryside, far away from her usual busy London life, this became her unexpected reality.

In February 2021, Dalton stumbles upon a newborn hare--a leveret--that had been chased by a dog. Fearing for its life, she brings it home, only to discover how difficult it is to rear a wild hare, most of whom perish in captivity from either shock or starvation. Through trial and error, she learns to feed and care for the leveret with every intention of returning it to the wilderness. Instead, it becomes her constant companion, wandering the fields and woods at night and returning to Dalton's house by day. Though Dalton feared that the hare would be preyed upon by foxes, weasels, feral cats, raptors, or even people, she never tried to restrict it to the house. Each time the hare leaves, Chloe knows she may never see it again. Yet she also understands that to confine it would be its own kind of death.

Raising Hare chronicles their journey together while also taking a deep dive into the lives and nature of hares, and the way they have been viewed historically in art, literature, and folklore. We witness firsthand the joy at this extraordinary relationship between human and animal, which serves as a reminder that the best things, and most beautiful experiences, arise when we least expect them.

Review Quotes

Named the 2025 Wainwright Prize Book of the Year
WINNER of the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing
FINALIST for the 2025 Women's Prize for Nonfiction
SHORTLISTED for 2026 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing

One of Kirkus's 20 Books You Won't Believe Are Debuts
One of Kirkus's 12 Nonfiction Books That Read Like Novels

"Dalton's clear, measured prose and Denise Nestor's delicate drawings provide . . . a bit of solace in a world that has now returned to an even more frenetic state. In Raising Hare, nature, indeed, takes its course."--The New York Times

"Endearing and enlightening."--The Washington Post

"In a troubled time, perhaps the greatest gift [Dalton] receives from the hare is a sense of peace. . . . Reading the book had much the same effect on me."­--Sigrid Nunez, The New Yorker

"Ms. Dalton has given us a portrait, both ephemeral and real, of a 'creature of habit, set hours and favorite places, that walks so lightly on this earth, and that can be trusting on its own terms.' She seems to share Hare's traits of serenity, stillness and alertness to danger. It's a testament to her skills of observation that the two reflect and enhance each other in unexpected, often remarkable ways."--Wall Street Journal

"Moving. . . . Impart[s] valuable lessons about slowing down and the beauty in the unexpected."--USA Today

"Part diary, part natural history, part field guide, this book is also an epic hero's journey--where you set out on an ordinary day and stumble upon something that changes you forever."--NPR

"[Dalton] provides us with a refreshing gift: a taste of fragility, grace, and trust in a world otherwise drunk on corruption and haste. If you're in desperate need of a deep breath, this is the first book I'd recommend."--ELLE

"Clear-eyed and never overly sentimental, Dalton offers a deep meditation on what it means to connect with the natural world."--TIME

"Here Dalton finds and forges another kind of literary world: one in which the writer observes an animal, and herself, and the quiet yet profound love that grows between them."­--Boston Globe

"Features soulful nature writing combined with a deep reverence for the wild things that ignite our curiosity and joy. . . . An extraordinarily thoughtful memoir."--The Seattle Times

"This book tells a story of true friendship with great respect . . . If you love animals, this book is incredibly beautiful and moving and helped me see nature differently. I think it's the best non-fiction book of the year."--Elizabeth Gilbert

"Marvelous."--Rebecca Solnit, Longreads

"In times of great stress, people often find comfort in the natural world, sometimes by forging unexpected connections with wild creatures. This has resulted in a bounty of beautiful books, including Helen Macdonald's H is for Hawk, Amy Tan's The Backyard Bird Chronicles, and Catherine Raven's Fox and I. . . . Raising Hare is a welcome addition to these stories of transformative, interspecies trust-building. . . . Dalton's paean to her 'wondrous, ' life-changing communion with this animal offers many exquisite moments." --Christian Science Monitor

"Surprisingly moving[. Dalton] is an elegant writer and sharp-eyed observer." --The Economist

"A gifted writer, [Dalton] describes the hare in great detail and with great tenderness, clearly a product of observing it very closely. . . . [They] enter into a dreamlike companionship so nourishing to Dalton that she almost doesn't care when the hare chews through both her router and TV cables. That's love."--Laura Miller, Slate

"Moving. . . . Dalton's affectionate attention to the hare ends up magnifying her attention to the world itself, deepening her love for it, changing how she relates to any one thing constellating the dazzling wholeness of everything. . . . An attention-annealing, life-deepening read."--Maria Popova, The Marginalian

"A tender lesson in a different kind of love, one that starts from pity of a defenseless creature and radiates out to wonderment at the wider world."--Spectrum Culture

"A reminder of the wonders of the natural world. . . . For Dalton, a creature famed for its swiftness taught her to slow down."--KQED

"Irresistible." --Orange County Register

"From the moment it started, I was both rapt and moved by this memoir of an overworked Londoner who saves and raises a leveret at her country home. . . . This carefully observed book made me very conscious of taking time to breathe and appreciate the world around me." --Vulture, "5 Great Audiobooks to Listen to This Month"

"An unexpected experiment in coexistence. . . . Raising Hare is a plea for people to be gentler with other creatures, to grant them room to live."--Associated Press

"Dalton writes with precision about what it means to care for a wild animal and how giving it freedom might promise its return. A great read for those who live a fast-paced life away from the natural world, but are eager to glean the lessons one can learn by slowing down."­--Paste

"An astounding debut memoir in which Dalton shows how a serene and long-misunderstood creature opened her eyes in many ways. It just might do the same for readers. . . . Soulful and gracefully written." --Kirkus, starred review

"Magical, endearing. . . . Dalton's memoir expands on the relatively little knowledge we have about this enchanting species, while also serving gentle commentary on the state of wildlife and the need to preserve their habitats. . . . A sweet and curious meditation on what we gain when we allow the natural world to teach us." --BookPage, starred review

"Rescuers and animal lovers, this book is for you." --Guam Daily Post

"Dalton makes her tale refreshingly unsentimental, delivering sharp insights about the value of trust, freedom, and respect for the natural world. It's a delight."--Publishers Weekly

"In her debut work, a soothing narrative rich with exquisite detail, Dalton enchants."--Library Journal

"Delightful[, i]lluminating, intelligent, and warm, this is nature writing at its best."--Booklist

"Written with tenderness and lyricism from someone who has taken the time to reconnect to nature and the wild within. A beautiful book."--Angelina Jolie

"I am so grateful to have this special book to read right now. It is so good. So glorious. So quiet. So cozy. So perfectly written."--Amy Sedaris

"Raising Hare is more than just a charming wildlife-rescue story. It's more even than a lively cultural and natural history of a gentle creature that is too often regarded as a nuisance. Perhaps most of all Raising Hare is a perfect testimony to the transformative power of love. In learning to love an orphaned hare, Chloe Dalton learned to love the whole wild world. The great gift of this remarkable book is the way it teaches us to do the same."--Margaret Renkl, author of The Comfort of Crows

"Makes you think profoundly about how we so often tune out the natural world around us. Chloe Dalton is a tender, curious, wise, mind-expanding guide, connecting readers with the wild we humans once knew so well. I will be recommending this to everyone."--Matt Haig, author of The Midnight Library

"Raising Hare is a glorious book--for its warmth, its precision, its joy. It's not dreamy or romantic about the natural world--it's something far better than that."--Katherine Rundell, author of Vanishing Treasures

"The best books make you rethink how you relate to the world. This is one of those books. Quietly profound, beautifully written, Hare is now lodged in my heart."--Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with a Pearl Earring

"Come look through this brilliant keyhole of a book to see the life of a single wild animal down to its finest hairs and gestures. Peering from the small room of human awareness, you see out to a greater, vivid world. Your ears will perk and your body will leap. You will become far more than yourself."--Craig Childs, author of The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild

"If you need a dose of sweet, calm sanity and deep connection to nature, this is the book for you. Chloe Dalton's writing is as captivating, stirring, and serene as the hare she raises. I loved every page and will be sending copies to all my friends and relatives."--Jennifer Ackerman, author of What an Owl Knows

"Chloe Dalton didn't suspect that finding a helpless baby hare would be a great turning point in her life. Her adrenaline-filled work in government policy didn't prepare her for how raising this small, wild, helpless creature would open her eyes to a new world--one that is around us all the time. She didn't know that her life of words would be changed when she realized how much can be communicated in silence. Fortunately for us, Dalton shares these rich and profound experiences in this beautiful book."--Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel and Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe

"Hares need their own enthusiasts, and they won't find one kinder or more curious than Chloe Dalton."--Catherine Raven, author of Fox and I: An Uncommon Friendship

"Spellbinding. . . Prepare to be bewitched by this future classic of nature writing."--The Bookseller, Book of the Month

"A remarkable debut."--The Spectator (UK)

"A tale of hope, channeled through the enduring and improbable bond between a human and a wild animal. It's a love letter to the natural world, encouraging us to stop in our tracks and pay attention to how awe-inspiring our environment can be."--The Times (UK)

"Enchanting . . . This is a book to reset our attitudes to the wild animals who live around us."―Mail on Sunday (UK)

"One of the most gorgeous tales of human-animal connection out there."--iNews

"Raising Hare is an astounding achievement. Not since I read Salar the Salmon by Henry Williamson have I witnessed such insight into a creature of the wild. This is a great and important tale for our times, for all of us, in the same league as Ted Hughes, Alice Oswald, Thomas Hardy, and indeed Henry Williamson himself. I am so pleased Chloe Dalton told us about raising hare. I will not forget it and nor will anyone who reads it."--Michael Morpurgo, author of War Horse

"A stunning work that captures something truly magical. This is more than a wildlife memoir, it's a philosophical masterpiece ruminating on our place as human beings in nature. It left me pondering the ways in which I could listen and look more deeply to better consider those with whom we share our landscape." --Clare Balding, author of My Animals and Other Family

"This book is exceptional. It made me smile out loud, such a magical tale of a world turned upside down by a fragile wild thing--a leveret lost, a life found. A simply wonderful story, profoundly beautiful."--Chris Packham, conservationist, wildlife filmmaker, and host of the BBC's BAAFTA Award-winning Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch series

About the Author

Chloe Dalton is a writer, political adviser and foreign policy specialist. 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. Raising Hare is her first book.