Struggling to comprehend the shocking death of his teenage daughter, Ben Goldsmith finds solace in nature by immersing himself in plans to rewild his Somerset farm.

'Intensely readable, poetic, truthful, wise and wonderful.' STEPHEN FRY 'An extraordinary book.' SUNDAY TIMES Struggling to comprehend the shocking death of his teenage daughter, Ben Goldsmith finds solace in nature by immersing himself in plans to rewild his farm. In July 2019, Ben Goldsmith lost his fifteen-year-old daughter, Iris, in an accident on their family farm in Somerset. Iris’s death left her family reeling. Grasping for answers, Ben threw himself into searching for some ongoing trace of his beloved child, exploring ideas that until then had seemed too abstract to mean much to him. Missing his daughter terribly and struggling to imagine how he would face the rest of his life in the shadow of this loss, Ben found solace in nature, the object of a lifelong fascination. As Ben set about rewilding his farm, nature became a vital source of meaning and hope. This book is the story of a year of soul-searching that followed a terrible loss. In an instant, Ben’s world had turned dark. Yet, unbelievably to him, the seasons kept on turning, and as he immersed himself in the dramatic restoration of nature in the place where it happened, he found healing. In God is an Octopus, Ben tells a powerful, immersive and inspiring story of finding comfort and strength in nature after suffering loss and despair.

"Extraordinary." - The Daily Mail

"Goldsmith has written an extraordinary book, God is an Octopus, about his journey through grief and his exploration of the afterlife." - The Sunday Times

"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." - The Times

"Some of the finest writing about nature you will find anywhere." - The Daily Mail

"[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." - The Telegraph

"A heartbreaking yet ultimately inspiring memoir of the personal spiritual odyssey." - The Daily Mail

"A tribute not just to a lost child but also to nature’s regenerative power." - The Observer

"A meandering pathway through the thickets of grief ... this is a devastating book, unflinching, but written with lyricism." - The Daily Telegraph

"Remarkable memoir… This book will bring comfort and hope to anyone experiencing grief." - The Guardian

"[A] moving account of how reconnecting with nature helped [Goldsmith] rebuild a capacity for joy." - The Guardian, Saturday magazine

"Poignant and very moving … a compelling piece of writing." - BBC Countryfile

"[Goldsmith’s] personal experiences and thoughts feel vividly real to the reader ... An extraordinarily powerful, optimistic and wise read." - House & Garden

"[An] engaging book, part memoir, part ecological tract" - Country & Town House

"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." - BBC Countryfile

"A very moving book … [It] tore at my heart, as it will yours, but it’ll also make you feel better and more hopeful." - Bird Watching

"[A] haunting meditation on grief and nature." - The Times

"This beautiful book is an unflinching account of grief, with love and hope at its heart." - The Daily Mail