Beastly : A New History of Animals and Us

What a wonderful and unexpected book. The very opposite of beastly: heavenly and amazing, powerful and affecting, a beloved and very fine teller of tales reminds us how small we are in the face of a nature that we neither understand nor wish to respect or, in any real sense, live with -- PHILIPPE SANDS A brilliant and insightful selection of revealing stories about our complicated relationship with other animals, told with Carew's uniquely smart and stylish verve. A hugely enjoyable, thought-provoking book -- GAIA VINCE Full of necessary rage, joy and passion: BEASTLY should be mandatory reading for all humans -- CLAIRE FULLER [An] entertaining and mind-expanding book so full of surprising facts and fascinating stories that my copy has practically every page folded down or highlighted or annotated with exclamation marks. Keggie's writing makes me laugh but it also makes me think; the perfect combination. BEASTLY is a brilliant book for anyone who questions how we might live more ethically, more harmoniously and more happily alongside the other creatures in this crowded and beautiful world -- CAL FLYN This book is sensational. I am fascinated by the animals, as I thought I would be, but I am equally fascinated by the humans. The writing is so beautiful. The most natural writer there ever was. I MEAN IT! -- LAURA CUMMING Moving, poignant yet funny. A charmingly eccentric exploration of our increasingly dysfunctional relationship with nature, peppered with peculiar, remarkable tales both joyous and sad -- DAVE GOULSON This book is OUTSTANDING. The way Keggie breathes life into the animals (and humans) whose tales she tells, with such passion and purpose, is brilliant. And all that research! I have been deeply affected by what I have read and learned . . . In fact Beastly is one of only a handful of books which have pretty much left me lost for words. Suffice to say I would challenge anyone to read it from cover to cover and not feel impelled to up their game -- BRIGIT STRAWBRIDGE A hugely entertaining, insightful and far-reaching look into the fascinating complexity of our relationships with animals. The writing sparkles with wit and wisdom, allowing us to see ourselves through the eyes of the non-humans we so carelessly share this planet with -- LEE SCHOFIELD BEASTLY will change the way you see the world -- CORNELIA PARKER I can't believe this new book. Having written the biography of all biographies with Dadland, Keggie has somehow brought the same intimacy and storytelling to a huge history. It is so beautifully written I had to re-read whole lyrical sections as I went -- ANNEKA RICE
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Keggie Carew lives with her husband Jonathan in Wiltshire where they have a small nature reserve. Before writing, her career was in contemporary art. Keggie is the author of Dadland, which won the 2016 COSTA biography award, and Quicksand Tales.

keggiecarew.co.uk | @keggiec
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