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bostieslovebooks
, February 01, 2024
(view all comments by bostieslovebooks)
Miriam Darlington recounts her year-long journey through the wilds and countryside of Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, and England in pursuit of otters.
I have been fascinated by otters for as long as I can remember, thus I was very excited to read OTTER COUNTRY: AN UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE IN THE NATURAL WORLD. It is clear that otters hold a very special place in the author’s life. Included in her journey are meetings with biologists, poets, conservationists, and hunting and fishing enthusiasts which add context to the otter/human connection. Unfortunately, it felt like I was often wading through tons of spraint to get to the most interesting and meaningful material, leaving the beauty of the writing somewhat diminished. Everywhere I turned, there was another passage about otter spraint. After reading this, I am clear on its importance within the world of otters, however the repetitious nature bogged things down.
Though the execution of OTTER COUNTRY: AN UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE IN THE NATURAL WORLD didn’t work perfectly for me, it was still a good read that I’d recommend to fans of memoirs with a heavy emphasis on the natural world.
Thank you to Tin House for the gifted ARC.
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