In Davies’s miraculous retelling of Thomas Hedley’s life it is as if a world has been remembered rather than written. Once Upon A Raven’s Nest is an unforgettable history of a life that is almost lost and an account of the destruction man has wrought on the earth in the time that Hedley worked the land. The story of a working-class man from Exmoor, whose lifetime spanned the period of the great acceleration and whose childhood took place in a world exponentially different to our own. Superb: a compellingly readable reflection on what it means to be alive in a mortuary, free in a society of slaves, and on place, home, relationship, and our need for the surging wild. Angry and kind; poised and desperate; urgent and vital. Davies can help us all to get a life. We need her.' Stirring, striking and extremely significant. A beautifully written search for freedom exploring social justice, mental health, nature and the priceless value of home.' Catrina Davies came to know Hector Ralph Collard in the last years of his life. Born in 1955 to a rural, working class family in Somerset, he was someone we'd understand as a true countryman, spending his life on the land, hunting, working and appreciating the natural world. He lived life to the full and was a risk taker, ultimately paralysed by the last in a series of accidents. Dependent on the tender care of friends and family, he was frustrated by his immobility but was still watching, noticing and recording his local environment.

Once Upon a Raven's Nest is the story of a working class man, one Thomas Hedley of Exmoor, and of the planet during the period of its great acceleration towards the current climate emergency. We learn of his accumulation of engines, tools and guns, the complexity of his connection to nature, the animals he loved and his desire to hunt them. He recounts the terrible consequences of his fatal attraction to risk and machinery which led to his being paralysed for the last years of his life, confined to a wheelchair, hopelessly dependent but still watching, noticing, recording, loving the world.

Reviews:

Once Upon A Raven's Nest is an unforgettable history of a life that is almost lost and an account of the destruction man has wrought on the earth in the time that Hedley worked the land. Once Upon a Raven’s Nest is an account of an epoch of change; of the earth and of a human life. It is the story of a working class man, one Thomas Hedley of Exmoor, and of the planet during the period of its great acceleration towards the current climate emergency.

You’ve been privileged to ‘see’ Exmoor National Park through Thomas’ eyes, how has this perspective altered your personal view of Exmoor? From the wonderfully evocative title to the heart-rending yet spirit-lifting conclusion, Catriona examines, with great empathic power, how colossal forces work on the individual. In one man, we are shown vast epochal change; in him, we see the concerns and defiance and activities that were once considered as solely the province of gods. A brilliant and necessary book.’ – Niall Griffiths

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At the beginning of each chapter you have also included factual entries about climate change. How did you come up with idea, and why do you think it works so well?