'Peppered with humour, empathy and kindness' - Sunday Post

Ever since her pet sheep Lulu accompanied her to school at the age of seven, animals and nature have been at the heart of Polly Pullar’s world. Growing up in a remote corner of the Scottish West Highlands, she roamed freely through the spectacular countryside and met her first otters, seals, eagles and wildcats.

But an otherwise idyllic childhood was marred by family secrets which ultimately turned to tragedy. Following the suicide of her alcoholic father and the deterioration of her relationship with her mother, as well as the break-up of her own marriage, Polly rebuilt her life, earning a reputation as a wildlife expert and rehabilitator, journalist and photographer.

This is her extraordinary, inspirational story. Written with compassion, humour and optimism, Polly reflects on how her love of the natural world has helped her find the strength to forgive and understand her parents, and to find an equilibrium.

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'In pages peppered with humour, empathy and kindness, Pullar revisits her pained past and the wild places and creatures that gave her succour'

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'Pullar's style soars when she is describing wildlife and landscape. With its colourful and often comic vignettes of rural life, this memoir is reminiscent on occasions of Katharine Stewart’s A Croft in the Hills'

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'This is Polly's finest book to date. It's a beautifully written, lyrical and inspiring story, told with great honesty and compassion. Ultimately, it’s a positive, life-affirming lesson in how to turn even the most difficult of times into a force for good'

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'A candid memoir'

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'This searingly honest memoir... is bravely written, warm, and ultimately, endearing'

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'Pullar's memoir is raw and inspirational, showing readers that there is hope to be found, even in our most desolate moments'