WINNER OF THE PEN/E.O. WILSON LITERARY SCIENCE WRITING AWARD
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
An extraordinary memoir about the friendship between a solitary woman and a wild fox.
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“Mysterious and magical.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Entrancing.”—Bethanne Patrick, The Washington Post
“[Raven is] a superb nature writer.”—Clare McHugh, The Washington Post
“A poetic, revelatory portrait of a biologist’s solitary sojourn.”—Oprah Daily
“[Raven’s] memoir reminds us that connection to the natural world comes in many forms.”—TIME
“[Raven’s] reflections shine a spotlight on the path out of loneliness, reminding us all that nature itself will ensure none of us are ever truly alone.”—Zibby Owens, Good Morning America
“A soulful and indelible exploration of an interspecies friendship.”—Booklist
“A heartfelt meditation on the power of nature and a touching homage to a beloved wild friend.”—Kirkus
“Rich and meditative, Raven’s musings on nature and solitude are delightful company.”—Publishers Weekly
“Fox and I will make you feel deeply about our relationship with animals and nature. After you read this book, you will experience animals in a new and marvelous way.”—Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation
“The observations of high-desert nature—of wildlife, plants, landscapes, weather—in this book are some of the best you will ever read. The story of Raven and the fox’s friendship charmed me and drew me in completely.”—Ian Frazier, author of Great Plains
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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 realized 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 anthropomorphize 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—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—each tree, weed, flower, stone, or fox.
PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9781954118119
Price: $18.00
On-sale date: 6/28/2022
Weight: 1.28 lbs.
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.