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There are currently 23 member reviews
for Raising Hare
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Linda H. (Manitowoc, WI)
An animal lovers delight
Review of Raising Hare
Chloe Dalton's memoir, Raising Hard, was pure enjoyment. Dalton rescues a very small leveret in the middle of winter, but with an important difference from many rescues. She is determined not to make a pet of her, but to respect her wildness and accommodate it as much as possible. She makes sure she has access to leaving the house, and never names her. The hare responds by being very accommodating herself, unlike her own offspring. She is gentle, clean, and responsive. I might say she responds like a pet, but I can't argue with Dalton's efforts not to "spoil' her or make her unfit to live outside.
Fortunately, this episode in Dalton's life took place during Covid when she was unable to travel and interact with various groups and had a limited work life at home. She had time to make the adjustments in her own habits and surroundings. The hare spent time indoors as well as in the garden, and eventually went out into the property further. It's also interesting to see her care of her leverets and their response to Dalton's environment. The details are fascinating.
If you are interested in animals in general, I'm pretty sure you will enjoy this book.
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Roberta W. (Los Ranchos, NM)
To the Rescue
A lovely memoir written by Chloe Dalton about an abandoned leveret (baby hare) that she finds on her countryside property. Knowing the risks of trying to raise a wild animal, she consults vets and reads as much as she can about hares. To her delight the leveret thrives and becomes a frequent visitor over the years. In fact, the leveret as an adult even has some of her babies in Dalton's home.
I am a wildlife rehabilitator and I was extremely impressed by Dalton's care of this animal. She did everything right. She did not name it, she didn't try to turn it into a pet and she was determined to return it to the wild. These are all hard tasks because it is so easy to get attached to an animal if you are the one raising it. We tend to anthropomorphize animals (especially babies).
As I know, these wild animals teach us so much. As with Dalton, they teach us to become conservationists and to care about nature.
The book has lots of scientific information that might not be of interest to all readers, but I found it fascinating. In addition to that, each chapter is headed with a charming drawing.
I loved this book.
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Michael P. (Oceanside, CA)
Educational & Hopeful
A wonderful book. This is a privileged visit into the quiet simplicity of the hare's world. Dalton showed me how a deceptively small animal can teach such large lessons. I look at nature around me with a gentler and more inquisitive eye thanks to her story.
I would have liked the book to have included a drawing or sketch of her house and garden as it was cumbersome for me to picture it in my mind's eye.
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Michele N. (Bethesda, MD)
Raising Hare
This is a touching memoir of Dalton's relationship with a leveret – a baby hare – that she finds not far from her home in the English countryside. With no mother in sight, she fears it may not survive on its own. She decides to take it home for one night, taking care to not leave her scent on the leveret so it can be released back into the wild.
What follows is a multi-year relationship with the leveret as it develops into a full grown hare, lives in both her house and garden while venturing out into the wild. Throughout, Dalton struggles with providing the hare with a safe space while not confining it or turning it into a pet. The "relationship" that develops between the two is heartwarming.
She also covers how we treat nature around us, particularly as it affects wild animals. But there was too much and felt like filler to me. While the line drawings of hares to start each chapter are nice, I would have liked some photographs to reference as she made observations about physical characteristics and colors.
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Beverly D. (Palm Harbor, FL)
Eyes Open!
This memoir was a delight... "our" place in the natural world comes to life in Chloe Dalton's lovely memoir "Raising Hare". Even political advisors can appreciate what we, as humans, can learn from a newborn hare. Her committment to caring for yet NOT domesticating this creature is commendable. Well written with clean easy prose, I would highly recommend this book for any true nature lover, or someone who has an interest in saving what is left on our planet.
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Roberta J. (Minneapolis, MN)
It grew on me
I've never had a pet rabbit/hare and am not particularly fond of them - they eat my hostas! So I was not to excited about this book. But it grew on me.
The book is a memoir, the story of the author's rescue in rural England, of a baby hare, known as a leveret. She purposely wanted to keep it as wild as possible so she could release it back into the wild as soon as possible. But it stuck around. The two bonded - sort of, and both benefited immensely. "The leveret's calm and orderly existence challenged my priorities and woke up my senses." "Through the leveret, I had discovered the pleasure of attachment to place and the contentment that can be derived from exploring it fully, rather than constantly seeking ways to leave it and believing that satisfaction can only lie in novel experiences."
Chloe Dalton's description of the English countryside are particularly touching. She is an excellent writer.
I've recommended the book to one friend, but I will say that it is not for everyone. Not a lot of action, no drama, just a sweet, sweet story of nature and our place in it.
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Carrie D. (Freeport, ME)
So enjoyable!
This is a delightful book. It detailed the experience of raising a wild hare with such interesting facts and details. I would recommend this book to anyone.
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