The Wild Life: A Year of Living on Wild Food

(Paperback)

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A beautifully written, witty and inspirational account of a man (and his dog) living for a year on only what can be hunted, fished or foraged. The Wild Life is John Lewis-Stempel's account of twelve months eating only food shot, caught or foraged from the fields, hedges, and brooks of his forty-acre farm. Nothing from a shop and nothing raised from agriculture. Could it even be done We witness the season-by-season drama as the author survives on Nature's larder, trains Edith, a reluctant gundog, and conjures new recipes. And, above all, we see him get closer to Nature. Because, after all, you're never closer to Nature than when you're trying to kill it or pick it. Lyrical, observant and mordantly funny, The Wild Life is an extraordinary celebration of our natural heritage, and a testament to the importance of getting back to one's roots - spiritually and practically.

Reviews

This is a great book: tough and funny, metaphysical and earthy, passionate and honest. Most of all, honest: not just in the sense of 'candid', but honest also in that it reveals the sheer bloody awkwardness, and the sheer awkward bloodiness, of trying to live even semi-wild these days. What might seem like a gimmick turns out to be a way of discovering a great deal about that complicated thing we call 'land'. There's also some beautiful writing about place -- Robert Macfarlane, author of the international bestseller, The Wild Places
Beautifully written. The closest thing you can get to poetry in prose -- Paul Blezzard * Hay on Wye Literary Festival *
A fascinating account of each month as [John Lewis Stempel] tracks, kills and gathers what he needs to stay alive... But this is more than just a rundown of all the perfectly edible stuff out there that we tend to overlook in our everyday, supermarket-dominated lives. The Wild Life is also a meditation on survival and our connection to the land... A timely and compelling book -- Jason Webster * Sunday Telegraph *
Tough, honest, funny, poetic and informative, this is an initiatory and spiritual journey. A life lesson for us all * Ecologist *
A large slice of nostalgia served up in an amusing and informative narrative * Manchester Evening News *

Author Bio

John Lewis-Stempel is a writer and farmer. His books include the Sunday Times bestsellers The Running Hare and The Wood. He is the only person to have won the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing twice, with Meadowland and Where Poppies Blow. In 2016 he was Magazine Columnist of the Year for his column in Country Life. He lives in Herefordshire with his wife and two children.