The book is a collection of little facts about nature, animals and plants. It’s something entirely different than what I usually read. It’s a non-fiction book, which is quite philosophical. It seems to be a collection of different essays, but it’s written together very well and they often blend together with one main subject 

Everything is written against the background of the summerhouse. The author inherited the house from her mother, but it needs some proper restorations. 

When she stays there, she encounters nature, which has taken over different parts of the house. 

We learn about squirrels, badgers and foxes, but also about bees, ants, fish and plants. 

Nina Burton’s writing style is very pleasant to read. It’s quite descriptive and lyrical, which I enjoyed. 

Content-wise, I didn’t find every part equally interesting. The life of ants didn’t intrigue me as much as other parts, like about foxes or when she philosophically compares different kinds of animals with humans in the matter of communication/cooperation, which I did find interesting!

It was fascinating to read how animals, even ants, and plants do have some kind of intelligence, awareness and communication. It was fun to read how Nina Burton philosophises about that, while referencing ideas and sources as old as Ancient Greece, but of course modern sources as well. 

To conclude; it’s a very pleasant non-fiction book, with different anecdotes and facts about nature, which are written in a descriptive, lyrical writing style. The scientific/factual knowledge is always accompanied by the writer's philosophical train of thought.