'Bold and beautiful.' - Robert Macfarlane

'Sensitive, thoughtful and poetic ... leading us into a whole new way of looking at the world' - Michael Palin

'Touched by genius' - John Lewis-Stempel

'Absolutely mesmerizing, utterly beautiful and engrossing' - Joanne Harris

After moving from London to a new home in Yorkshire and preparing for fatherhood for the first time, Rob Cowen finds himself unmoored in unfamiliar territory. Disoriented, confined by winter and craving open space, he begins exploring a nearby edgeland: a pylon-threaded patchwork of woodland, hedgerow, meadow, field and river that sits overlooked and unclaimed on the town’s fringe.

As he delves deeper into this forgotten landscape, Cowen uncovers its hidden layers of life, animal, bird, insect, plant and human, observing each in vivid, kaleidoscopic detail. Through shifting seasons, and as the arrival of his child approaches, his journey into this liminal space between people and the natural world becomes increasingly profound.

What emerges is a powerful, intimate portrait of place and time, and an unforgettable exploration of the shared ground between humans and nature. Blending memoir and nature writing, with deep ecological awareness, Cowen brings this overlooked Yorkshire edgeland to life, revealing how wildness persists even in the most unexpected corners.