Lives of the Hunted

Ernest Thompson Seton is considered the father of modern nature writing. He went to great lengths to explore, observe, study and interact with wildlife before chronicling it in his writing. In fact, he was one of the founding pioneers of the Boy Scouts in America! His love for nature comes through beautifully in this collection of short stories that focuses on the often overlooked animals that tend to become fodder for the popular ones. His writing is keenly empathetic as well as educational - giving us the ins and outs of the difficulties that come with being under constant threat of a hunt. With each story, he explores the life of a different animal giving us an extensive understanding of the entire ecosystem in the wild. The book comes to life with sketches of these animals and events drawn by the author. The sensitivity with which the stories are told are bound not just to engage us, but also make us more thoughtful in the way we interact with nature and each other. It's a book you'll keep coming back to and find something new each time! It's definitely a refreshing, much needed take on wildlife.