The Given World by Melissa Harrison

The Given World is a stunning, immersive, and wholly unforgettable novel built around an ensemble of interconnected lives in a village in the fictional Welm Valley. Each chapter introduces us to a new member of the community – farmers, newcomers, widowers, workers, healers, and difficult neighbours all moving around each other as the seasons turn.

If there was a main character, it would be the village itself – or rather the very land on which the village stands. The landscape is written in such vivid detail that it feels alive: every hedgerow, birdsong, or change in weather feels utterly real and the result is that you don’t just read about the valley, you inhabit it.

As well as being about the timeless beauty of nature, the novel is also about change. Running beneath the beauty is an ominous undercurrent that something is not quite right with the land itself. From disappearing seasons to freak weather to unsettling dreams that are shared unknowingly by several village residents, Harrison creates a subtle but persistent sense of ecological unease. This gives the novel an almost folkloric feeling at times as every small detail seems charged with meaning.

What struck me most is how perfectly the novel captures themes that are so close to our hearts here at Teasel & Skylark – the quiet wonder at what is on our doorstep and appreciating the emotional and psychological benefits of reconnecting with the natural world. This superb novel shows that nature-writing isn’t separate from human life, it is human life.

I found it to be a beautifully written, richly observed, and profoundly moving character-led novel that I didn’t want to end … so you won’t be surprised that I strongly recommend it.

Richard