In this evocative and heart-wrenching memoir, a hard-working Welsh
molecatcher reveals his double life as a poet and a dreamer - "A
wonderful memoir ... hands down the most charming book I read last
year."--Margaret Renkl, The New York Times
"How to Catch a Mole is a small book of many things. In quiet,
crystalline prose, it blends memoir, keen observations of nature, and
ruminations about life, aging and death."--Wall Street Journal
Kneeling in a muddy field in the Welsh countryside, clutching a creature
that is soft and blue-black, Marc Hamer vows he will stop trapping
moles--forever. In this earnest, understated, and sublime work of
literary memoir, the molecatcher shares what led him to this strange
career and what caused him to stop: from sleeping among hedges as a
homeless teen, to toiling on the railway, to weeding windswept gardens
in Wales and witnessing the beauty of every living thing.
Hamer infuses his wanderings with radiant poetry and stark, simple
observations on nature's 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 man's deep, unbreakable bond
with his natural surroundings, and offers hope and inspiration for
anyone looking to improve their relationship with the natural world.
