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WILD TREASURES Book Review

redandbluedave

April 30

Info

Written By: Hannah Stitfall.

Published By: Gaia / Octopus Books.

Thanks to the publisher and Random Things Blog Tour for sending me a physical copy of the book.

Overview

Hannah Stitfall is a TV presenter and zoologist, who regularly gets up in the early hours of the morning to try and catch sight of some of Cornwall's best hidden wildlife. She will spend hours on end waiting for a creature to appear among a hedgerow, scurrying across Cornwall's open fields or taking flight across its towering cliffs and sandy beaches. In these brief, magical moments, Hannah is able to see and capture animal behaviour that the general public rarely get to witness.

In this book, Hannah shares her incredible stories, beautiful photographs and often funny meetings with Cornwall's wildlife through the course of a year. From brown hares boxing in the grass in the spring, watching an otter cub hunt in the wetlands in winter, to witnessing the unique bioluminescence of a glow-worm in the summer, Wild Treasures is a remarkable diary, informative guide and joyous celebration of our nation's wonderful creatures.

Overview taken from the official book press release.

Review

I'm a big fan of the country and enjoy watching the wildlife programs on TV and various videos on TikTok and YouTube, the natural world is breathtaking at times and you can sometimes forget the beauty we have on our doorstep. One of my favourite presenters / content creators on this subject is Hannah Stitfall as she seems down to earth and more relatable than some you may have come across previously, some of the videos she posts online are stunning to say the least and when I found out that she was releasing a book on her wildlife adventures I just had to get involved in the tour to get a glimpse of what Hannah goes through to get that perfect shot.

The book itself is a month by month diary that takes you on an inspirational journey through the seasons. Being a dog owner myself (a springer called Mickey) I enjoyed the tales of the adventures that Hannah and her dog Isabelle have as I can imagine myself and my furry friend enjoying similar escapades. The book goes into detail what the lengths Hannah goes through to get the perfect shot, sitting in the hedgerows for hours on end in the hope that she can capture the amazing shots we see online.

The way Hannah describes the wonderful countryside that engulfs her home of Cornwall you know that she loves where she lives and appreciates the beauty that surrounds her.

The words Hannah uses to describe her adventures within the book captivate and take the reader on an almost magical journey allowing you to travel the countryside of Cornwall from the comfort of your sofa (with a nice brew)

This was a step back from what I would normally have gone for but with the subject matter being of interest it was a book that did capture my interest and from opening the cover I just knew that this would be a book that I would struggle to put down.

Summary

Time now then for me to put my thoughts into a summary, overall I really enjoyed the book I felt it was a relaxing read throughout and naturally flowed all the way through, you can tell that Hannah loves what she does as her enthusiasm bursts of each page and you can't help but be inspired by her writing, it certainly has me wanting to explore more of the area I live. This is the perfect book to read on a nice sunny day in the garden enjoying a nice brew and listening to the bird song.

Verdict-Out of 5 ⭐

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

EXCELLENT

I give Wild Treasures an excellent top marks of 5⭐ an enthusiastic look at the life of a wildlife photographer from someone who lives and breathes what she does. This book will definitely inspire you to get out and appreciate what is around you. A definite recommendation from me.

Wild Treasures is available now where all good books are sold.

A note on the author