God Is An Octopus: Loss, Love and a Calling to Nature

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Roger Alton * 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. And I recognised his frustration as in the following section: ‘Oh, you’re terribly keen on nature, aren’t you? Goldsmith begins to take action on his own land, and the alchemy of rewilding becomes his obsession and redemption.

A visit to Avalon Marshes shows how land can be “rewetted”, and he also takes inspiration from the experience of his friend Isabella Tree, author of Wilding, at the Knepp Castle estate. In her recent book Wilder, Millie Kerr surveys projects around the globe that are advancing rewilding goals large and small – and creating building blocks of hope. At page 118, Goldsmith begins a multi-page diatribe on the hateful attitude of Brits towards wild space. I am delighted to continue sharing rewilding stories from across the globe with fortnightly episodes of Rewilding The World, sponsored by my friends at Vivobarefoot - check the episode description for an exclusive 15% discount.Just reading the review I am amazed by your courage to commit to paper and share with the world such a devastating experience. It had a really strong start detailing the immediate aftermath of Iris's death, but as commented by other Goodreads reviewers, turns into a bit of an overly factual nonfiction read about the specifics of rewilding. For Arthur Dent, who has only just had his house demolished that morning, this seems already to be more than he can cope with. Reading this book enhanced my connections with nature and I have been wandering around my garden looking at it differently since. In each episode you'll follow one person's journey, getting to listen in on their coaching sessions with Selina and following them as she sends them off on a task to try out a new career idea.

Rebecca Hardy * The Daily Mail * Goldsmith has written an extraordinary book, God is an Octopus, about his journey through grief and his exploration of the afterlife. Ben Goldsmith and Kate Rothschild, from famed banking and financial families, lost their first child, daughter Iris, in an accident at Cannwood farm. I’ve brought you all back a souvenir from my summer travels – and I’m pretty sure you’re going to love it. I opened this book a self centred atheist who facetiously cast doubt on global warming and of nature or technology I would take the latter everytime.And while it seems an odd mishmash of topics occasionally – going from beavers to reincarnation – it works. I’ve recently moved to London from South Africa and due to my relocation am looking for new work opportunities here. God is an octopus may be a huge comfort for readers who are seeking meaning and purpose through nature, religion, or spirituality. This chasm between his journey and the ordinary reader is quite wide at times, but also at the heart of the story is the loss of a beloved child, and that grief is universal.