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Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
"Beguiling. The gentle and persistent search by Darlington sparkles." -- The Guardian
A plan formed in my mind. I would explore the places in this land that hid my grail. I would spend a whole year or longer, if that's what it took, wading through marshes, hiding between mossy rocks, paddling down rivers and swimming in sea lochs; recording my journey through the seasons as I searched for wild otters.
Mysterious, graceful, and ever-clever, otters have captivated our imaginations, despite the fact that few people have encountered one in the wild. In Otter Country , celebrated nature writer Miriam Darlington captures the fascination she's had for these playful animals since childhood, and chronicles her immersive journey into their watery world.
Over the course of a single year, Darlington takes readers on a winding expedition in pursuit of these elusive creatures--from her home in Devon, England, and through the wilds of Scotland, Wales, the Lake District, and the countryside of Cornwall. As she's drawn deeper into wilder habitats, trekking through changing landscapes, seasons, and weather, Darlington meets biologists, conservationists, fishing and hunting enthusiasts, and poets--enriching her understanding, admiration, and awe of the wild otter. With each encounter, she reveals the scientific, environmental, and cultural importance of this creature and the places it calls home.
Full of wonder, hope, and an abiding love for the natural world, Otter Country: An Unexpected Adventure in the Natural World is a beautiful and captivating work of nature writing, pursuing one of nature's most endearing and endlessly fascinating creatures.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Darlington (The Wise Hours) burnishes her reputation as a gifted nature writer with this vivid examination of the behavior, biology, and evolution of otters. She notes that the aquatic animals were "one of the earliest mammalian carnivores," appearing 30 million years ago as members of the mustelid family, which includes weasels and badgers. Over time, members of the mustelid family diversified to pursue different kinds of prey (pine martens evolved to hunt rodents in trees while otters developed to prowl waterways). Pushing back against otters' reputation for being "cuddly and playful," Darlington explains that males bite females so hard during copulation they leave permanent scars and often kidnap pups "from their mothers and expect her to hand over her catch of shellfish before the stolen pup is returned." Though Darlington's travels around Britain looking for otters in the wild proved unsuccessful, the sparkling prose ensures her account of the search never flags: "Without the dazzle of a torch, the moon is all quivering reflections. I stare over a bridge at the flicker beneath." Darlington also provides disquieting discussions of how European settlers in America's Pacific Northwest nearly hunted otters to extinction, and how oil spills and overfishing continue to threaten the animals' ability to survive in the wild. The result is an entrancing look at a complex animal. Agent: Clare Conville, C&W Agency. (Feb.)
Booklist Review
Darlington has a problem with otters. She's obsessed with the critters. She sets out on an "otter odyssey" that has her traipsing through all kinds of landscapes in Great Britain over the course of about a year to find these creatures in the wild. Darlington tracks them primarily by their paw prints and droppings. She seems to spend considerable time examining their spraint (dung), which she notes "smell[s] like perfume," akin to lavender and jasmine tea. Throughout her quest, she interacts with and learns from other otter aficionados. In tracking wild otters, the plucky author-adventurer encounters challenges along the way, including an encounter with a wild boar. Her reverence for the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) leads her to elevate the animal to an almost mythic status. Darlington views otters as playful predators, nomadic and secretive. Nocturnal stealth is this carnivore's super power. Otters might sleep about 12 hours a day, but their activities support the health of watery ecosystems. An at times peculiar though wholly affectionate, informative, and bubbly work of nature writing.
Table of Contents
| Spirit Level | 1 |
| True North | 11 |
| Watershed | 55 |
| Marsh | 95 |
| Source | 131 |
| Stream | 171 |
| Hunting Ground | 201 |
| East | 233 |
| Holt | 259 |
| Acknowledgements | 285 |
| Permissions | 289 |
| Bibliography and Further Reading | 291 |