Forget me not by Sophie Pavelle
This week I review ‘Forget me not’ by the amazing Sophie Pavelle!
Overview:
Forget me not, follows author Sophie Pavelle as she challenges herself to travel around the UK on a low-carbon mission to learn more about 10 of our rarest wildlife species that could disappear by the year 2050 if their habitats continue to decline. Sophie cycles, buses and boats her way all the way from sunny Devon up the length and breadth of the UK to Orkney in search of species such as the Bilberry bumblebee, Mountain hare and Black guillemot. Along the way she speaks to experts in the field and those trying to make a difference to the lives of these amazing species.
The Book in 3 sentences:
- A profound reminder of forgotten British wildlife that we all need to start reembracing.
- So many people around the UK are working on amazing projects to help British wildlife and we can all be apart of the process.
- We should all be looking to embrace more low carbon travel in our lives, not just as a point towards fighting climate change but also because a lot can be gained from challenging oneself to look for alternative methods and journeys.
Impressions:
Forget me not was a beautiful tale of British wildlife which used humour, reliability, and adventure to draw in the reader and allow us to join Sophie on her travels. The descriptions and feel for the wildlife leave you scrabbling for your binoculars and a map to find out where you too can spot these beautiful species.
Favourite Moments & Quotes:
My personal highlights of the book were chapters four and seven. Which focused on the search for Grey Long-eared bat and Atlantic salmon. I found these sections particularly interesting and a great retelling of Sophie’s adventure.
Rating:
Overall, this book was a lovely read and inspirational tale about a range of wildlife species we have in the UK. I particularly enjoyed Sophie’s down to earth tone and relatable narrative as she took us along on her adventure.
Notable mention:
I must admit that I hadn’t picked up Forget me not, until I actually met the wonderful Sophie at a book signing event at my work. I was tasked with making sure those that got a signed edition actually went over to the till and paid for it… given the quietness of the signing (not in fault of Sophie but more due to the quiet nature of my place of work, where 4 customers is considered a ‘busy period’.) This left a large amount of time to chat which I am slightly hazy on the details of due to battling a winter cold at the time. However, we did discuss our joint love of wildlife and recent sighting out in the field; sharing photographs and favourite species we’d encountered in the local area. Sophie was also kind enough to write me a note in her book after signing it and now I’ve finished it, I can say the book is just as passionate and lovely as Sophie is in person!
