Once Upon a Raven’s Nest
Once Upon a Raven’s Nest by Catrina Davies, published by RIVERRUN on April 13, 2023, is a 400-page exploration of the life of Thomas Hedley, a working-class man from Exmoor, set against the backdrop of the escalating climate emergency. The narrative delves into Hedley’s fierce independence and complex relationship with nature, as well as his experiences and struggles throughout his life, particularly during his later years when he faced paralysis. Through Davies’ poignant storytelling, readers gain insight into Hedley’s world, enriched by his love for the environment and the consequences of human actions on the planet.
In this edition, readers will find a blend of personal memoir and historical context, as the story is interwoven with factual entries that highlight the looming climate crisis. The book touches on themes of environmental science and social issues, reflecting on the choices that have led to the current state of the Earth. Once Upon a Raven’s Nest presents a unique perspective on both an individual’s life and the broader implications of humanity’s relationship with nature, making it a significant contribution to discussions on global warming and climate change.
Official synopsis Publisher
‘This is a rich, beautiful and deeply moving book’ GEORGE MONBIOT
‘I loved this book’ CLOVER STROUD
Once Upon a Raven’s Nest is the story of a working class man, one Thomas Hedley of Exmoor, and of the planet during the period of its great acceleration towards the current climate emergency.
Born in 1955 to a poor family in Devon Thomas refused to conform. His fierce independence, recklessness and contrariness led not only to scrapes and self-inflicted dangers but to a life enriched by the love of women. Catrina Davies came to know him in his last years and has given his life and times in his own words, creating a rich, pungent language in a knowing, poetic and poignant voice.
We learn of his accumulation of engines, tools and guns, the complexity of his connection to nature, the animals he loved and his desire to hunt them. He recounts the terrible consequences of his fatal attraction to risk and machinery which led to his being paralysed for the last years of his life, confined to a wheelchair, hopelessly dependent but still watching, noticing, recording, loving the world.
The narrative is interwoven with a sequence of factual entries that chart the impending climate catastrophe and the consequences of our collective choices to ignore the warning of an environment on the verge of collapse.
Once Upon A Raven’s Nest is an unforgettable history of a life that is almost lost and an account of the destruction man has wrought on the earth in the time that Hedley worked the land.
‘Stunning. Urgent. Unforgettable’ TANYA SHADRICK
‘This has the unmistakable smell of a classic’ CHARLES FOSTER
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