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Fox and I

An Uncommon Friendship
3.68 goodreads logo

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( 5,496 ratings, 995 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Fox and I by Catherine Raven is a captivating memoir detailing the unique friendship between a solitary woman and a wild fox. While exploring themes of connection and introspection, the author reflects on how this unexpected bond profoundly shapes her understanding of the natural world and her place within it. Through poignant storytelling, the book offers insights into the power of companionship across species.
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Format: Hardback
$5799
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're drawn to unlikely friendships and the beauty of nature. The memoir explores the bond between a solitary biologist and a wild fox, blending scientific curiosity with poetic reflection. It's perfect for readers who appreciate deep connections with the animal world and introspective storytelling.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

After receiving her PhD in biology, Raven lived in an isolated cottage in Montana, teaching remotely and leading field classes in Yellowstone National Park. Her only regular visitor was a fox, with whom she developed a friendship and from whom she learned about growth, loss, and belonging.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Winner of the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. 2022 Nautilus Book Awards Gold Winner. Shortlisted for the John Burroughs Medal. Finalist for the Stubbendieck Great Plains Distinguished Book Prize. Shortlisted for a Reading the West Book Award.

Instant New York Times Bestseller. A Christian Science Monitor Best Book of the Year. 2021 Summer Reading Pick by Buzzfeed, New York Times Book Review, Kirkus, Time, Good Morning America, People, Washington Post.

"The book everyone will be talking about. . . . Full of tenderness and understanding." β€” New York Times

An "extraordinary" (Oprah Daily) memoir about the friendship between a solitary woman and a wild fox.

When Catherine Raven finished her PhD in biology, she built herself a tiny cottage on an isolated plot of land in Montana. She was as emotionally isolated as she was physically, but she viewed the house as a way station, a temporary rest stop where she could gather her nerves and fill out applications for what she hoped would be a real job that would help her fit into society. In the meantime, she taught remotely and led field classes in nearby Yellowstone National Park.

Then one day she realised that a mangy-looking fox was showing up on her property every afternoon at 4:15 p.m. She had never had a regular visitor before. How do you even talk to a fox? She brought out her camping chair, sat as close to him as she dared, and began reading to him from The Little Prince. Her scientific training had taught her not to anthropomorphise animals, yet as she grew to know him, his personality revealed itself and they became friends.

From the fox, Catherine learned the single most important thing about loneliness: we are never alone when we are connected to the natural world. Friends, however, cannot save each other from the uncontained forces of nature.

Fox and I is a poignant and remarkable tale of friendship, growth, and coping with inevitable loss β€” and of how that loss can be transformed into meaning. It is both a timely tale of solitude and belonging, as well as a timeless story of one woman whose immersion in the natural world will change the way we view our surroundings β€” each tree, weed, flower, stone, or fox.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Catherine Raven's memoir explores her unique friendship with a wild fox, intertwining themes of solitude, nature, and companionship. Critics have praised the book for its poetic and introspective narrative, comparing its emotional depth and reflections on nature to classic literary works. The story resonates with those who appreciate the intricate connection between humans and the natural world, offering a fresh perspective on interspecies relationships that evokes both philosophical and environmental awareness.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781954118003

Publisher: Random House USA Inc

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 06 July 2021

Country: United States

Imprint: Spiegel & Grau

Illustration: Illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 228.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Catherine Raven is a former national park ranger at Glacier, Mount Rainier, North Cascades, Voyageurs, and Yellowstone national parks. She earned a PhD in biology from Montana State University, holds degrees in zoology and botany from the University of Montana, and is a member of American Mensa and Sigma Xi. Her natural history essays have appeared in American Scientist, Journal of American Mensa, and Montana Magazine. You can find her in Fox's valley tugging tumbleweeds from the sloughs. She lives in Emigrant, Montana.

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