Struggling to comprehend the shocking death of his teenage daughter,Iris,Ben Goldsmith finds solace in nature by immersing himself in plans to rewild his Somerset farm.
In July 2019,Ben Goldsmith's beautiful fifteen-year-old daughter,Iris,died in a tragic accident on their family farm in Somerset. Iris was sparkling,charismatic and intelligent,and,like Ben,she had a lifelong love of nature. Iris was the centre of her family's world,and her death left them devastated.
In the aftermath of losing Iris,Ben found solace in nature. The time he spent in nature became a vital source of meaning,hope and even joy. In Iris'honour,he began to rewild their farm,further strengthening his connection with the natural world. He restored natural meanders to streams and removed the hedgerows and fences that divided up the farm. Further afield,he met the people championing the benefits of rewilding in the UK to learn what else he could do to return the farm to its more natural state.
As the seasons passed and the world carried on without Iris,Ben sought ways to come to terms with his grief. Struggling to understand his loss,he connected with friends and family who had also lost children. He met Buddhist monks,an orthodox rabbi,his local vicar and a spiritual medium. Ultimately,though,it was the continuous lure of the natural world that allowed Ben to find hope and healing. He came to realise that the overriding meaning of his life,and the most fitting tribute he can make to his nature-loving daughter,is working and campaigning tirelessly for humankind's harmonious coexistence with nature.
In his first book,Ben tells a powerful,immersive and inspiring story of finding healing,comfort and strength through nature after suffering loss and despair.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLCISBN: 9781399408356Number of pages: 256Dimensions: 234 x 153 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
From the deepest sorrow,the highest hope. Intensely readable,poetic,truthful,wise and wonderful,this will live with me for a very long time.An event of unimaginable trauma is transformed into a message of beauty and optimism through Ben's passion for nature,which acts as his nurse,teacher and redeemer.Stunningly beautiful,immensely sad,immensely uplifting,this is a book of grief and joy and wonder and renewal.An extraordinarily powerful and moving journey through the darkest of griefs to the enduring love,hope and renewal of the natural world. A book of universal wisdom.A brilliant new book... heartbreaking.Beautiful and deeply moving,this will resonate with and inspire so many people.Extraordinary.Goldsmith has written an extraordinary book,God is an Octopus,about his journey through grief and his exploration of the afterlife.Ben chronicles the unfathomable tragedy of his daughter's death with the profound love and compassion of a bereft parent.An ambitious blend of memoir,nature diary and search for the meaning of life,the universe and everything...(God is an Octopus) powerfully communicates the capacity of nature to rebound.(Ben) does a quite astonishing job... finding incredible meaning in Iris's short life and the connection with nature he experienced after her sudden death.A heartbreaking yet ultimately inspiring memoir of the personal spiritual odyssey.A compelling journey from the very heart of loss to the sanctuary and hope that only the natural world provides - emotive,raw and captivating.A tribute not just to a lost child but also to nature's regenerative power.A meandering pathway through the thickets of grief...this is a devastating book,unflinching,but written with lyricism.Simply the most powerful and profound words I've ever read on grief... I clung to every sentence like a limpet hoping that time would slow down so I could digest and remember every word.Remarkable memoir... This book will bring comfort and hope to anyone experiencing grief.A heartbreaking book,but also an uplifting book which solaces the heart.(A) moving account of how reconnecting with nature helped (Goldsmith) rebuild a capacity for joy.In this very moving memoir,the leading rewilder and green investor bares his soul to let us into the darkest moments of his most private grief...His themes of loss,love and recovery are universal,the story beautifully told.(Goldsmith's) personal experiences and thoughts feel vividly real to the reader...An extraordinarily powerful,optimistic and wise read.(An) engaging book,part memoir,part ecological tractA very moving book...(It) tore at my heart,as it will yours,but it'll also make you feel better and more hopeful.(A) haunting meditation on grief and nature.
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