The renovation of a country house, purchased by the author for a family vacation in the countryside, becomes the plot for a beautifully written essay about nature and our relationship with it. On the property, as well as in the walls, floors, and ceilings of the old cottage, the narrator encounters a variety of animals: bees, ants, foxes, squirrels, thrushes, badgers, and many others—all those who call this place home. These encounters force the author to reflect on the role of animals in our world. Nina Burton, poet and writer, winner of the 2016 August Prize for Best Nonfiction, weaves scientific facts and personal observations into a coherent narrative to compel readers to see life in its many forms.