I’ve really enjoyed this fab middle grade book by Sarah J Dodd which, I’ll admit, I was first drawn to because of the beautiful cover art created by Becky Thorn. A wintery tale, it tells the story of Emily and her veterinarian father, who move to a new village 6 months after the loss of her mother. She doesn’t think that Badger Cottage will ever be home, but she soon realises that a creature out in the darkness needs her. When Emily finds a lynx kitten next to its dead mother, can she save Lotta alone?
While the book is clearly a story of loss and loneliness, there’s much more to it than that. It highlights the complexities of conservation and re-wilding, the importance of communication and education and – the bit I liked best – how friendships can still blossom despite strong differences of opinion. Empathic and very well-written, I highly recommend it ?.