How to catch a mole: wisdom from a life lived in nature - marc hamer

At once a highly original memoir and an ode to the outdoors, this unexpected--and delightfully strange--collection of essays reveals, at its core, a rare vision of the natural world.

An extraordinary book�Thank goodness Marc Hamer stopped killing moles and sat down to write.

--Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus.

ul of an Octopus.

A small book of many things.

In quiet, crystalline prose, How to Catch a Mole ] blends memoir, keen observations of nature, and ruminations about life, aging and death.

--Wall Street Journal In this charming, peaceful memoir, a traditional molecatcher shares the mysterious tricks of his trade, alongside poignant moments from his personal life, including his experience as a homeless teenager, his work as a professional gardener, and all that he has learned about our own humanity from a life spent outdoors.

Kneeling in a muddy field, clutching something soft and blue-black, Marc Hamer vows he will stop trapping moles--forever.

In this earnest, understated, and sublime work of nonfiction literature, the molecatcher shares what led him to this strange career: from sleeping among hedges as a homeless teen, to toiling on the railway, to weeding windswept gardens in Wales.

Hamer infuses his wanderings with radiant poetry and stark, simple observations on natures oft-ignored details.

He also reveals how to catch a mole--a craft long kept secret by its masters--and burrows into the unusual lives of his muses.

Moles, we learn, are colorblind.

Their blood holds unusual amounts of carbon dioxide.

Their vast tunnel networks are intricate and deceptive.

And, like Hamer, they work alone.

Beautifully written, life-affirming, and highly original, How to Catch a Mole offers a gorgeous portrait of one mans deep, unbreakable bond with his natural surroundings, and offers hope and inspiration for anyone looking to improve their relationship with the natural world.