‘The only badgers I ever get to see are dead ones.’
‘Well, if you keep seeing dead ones, their family can’t be far away.’
This throwaway conversation niggled, leading Caroline Greville to seek out her own neighbourhood badgers near her Kent home. She found them and was soon well-acquainted – so too were most of her family. A sense of interconnectedness developed as they had more badger contact than they could have hoped for.
Badger Clan charts a simple quest that turns into a full-blown obsession. From loitering near a sett to working as local contact for a regional badger group, this memoir tells of wild encounters and gradual, intimate knowledge of the local clan.
The story is rooted in rural village life, while the family are honestly depicted and relatable. A feel-good read in which enthusiast and elusive creature become inextricably bound.
Blog: Success or sell-out? My journey into print
Reviews
“I don’t simply recommend Caroline Greville’s Badger Clan to you, I most enthusiastically urge you to read it.”
Johannes E. Riutta
Full review by Johannes E. Riutta in the Well-read Naturalist, March 2019
“A charming story of wildlife discoveries in the neighbourhood of the Greville Family. Great nature writing with nicely observed happenings in both the house and sett. The book contains frequent lovely turns of phrase and also a surprising quantity of self deprecating humour. I wanted to know what happened next to the lumbering Wilbur (badger) who ate laying down and what Annie (teenager) had to say in her next brilliant putdown. A very attractive book inside and out.”
Christabel Carr, purchaser from Amazon
“Having read this enthralling and delightfully composed narrative into the little understood world of the Badger, I would recommend this easily read composition to everyone who wishes to gain an unbiased attitude towards these harmless creatures. Gone are the days where people would simply destroy any animal that did not fit in with their blinkered view of the natural World. This is a very new approach to understanding these creatures who have everything to fear from us and we have nothing to fear from them. I would like it to be placed on a must-read list for all children so that they can be properly informed and not be biased by outdated views. The future of the World will soon be in the hands of our offspring and books like Badger Clan can go a very long way to equip them with the right attitudes towards understanding nature in all its forms. A book for all seasons and for all ages to read.”
A. Godfrey, purchaser from Amazon
Caroline Greville 