The Green Hill

"REVIEW QUOTES ""In The Green Hill, Sophie Pierce writes about the sudden death of her son Felix with an aching and gentle honesty. Struggling to come to terms with the loss not only of the young man he was, but everything that he would eventually become, she finds herself overwhelmed not only by grief, but also by love. Her writing is illuminated by a remarkable attention to the beauty and consolation of the natural world, and by the wisdom and tenderness which has been so painfully acquired. This is a book that will be a great comfort to those who need it.""--Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent and Melmoth ""Unforgettable, necessary. This beautiful book is a map, compass and ration of courage for anyone arrived in the landscape of sudden loss. Full of love and learning."" --Tanya Shadrick ""The Green Hill is an extraordinary book. It's not an easy read, because Sophie Pierce describes the harrowing grief of losing a child with such burning authenticity that it hurts. The letters to her dead son are desperately sad, but her immersion in the water - river and sea - and the glorious landscape around their home in Devon offer a kind of gradual solace, as well as surprising moments of joy. Nature cannot offer a cure for grief, but it can give comfort and bear a kind of witness. Pierce writes with remarkable clarity. I thought of the fairy tale in which a captured princess must weave clothes from stinging nettles: Sophie Pierce has wrought something beautiful and useful from the darkest pain."" Cressida Connolly ""Writing something so deeply painful in a way that is still hopeful is a skill . . . It helped me understand grief at that scale as well as learn about you all navigating life after such a huge rupture . . . It made me ache for Dartmoor."" -- Ella Foote, journalist and swimmer"