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God Is an Octopus
- Loss, Love and a Calling to Nature
- Narrated by: Simon Bubb
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
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God Is an Octopus
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Summary
'Intensely readable, poetic, truthful, wise and wonderful.' STEPHEN FRY
'An extraordinary book.' SUNDAY TIMES
Struggling to comprehend the shocking death of his teenage daughter, Ben Goldsmith finds solace in nature by immersing himself in plans to rewild his farm.
In July 2019, Ben Goldsmith lost his fifteen-year-old daughter, Iris, in an accident on their family farm in Somerset. Iris’s death left her family reeling.
Grasping for answers, Ben threw himself into searching for some ongoing trace of his beloved child, exploring ideas that until then had seemed too abstract to mean much to him. Missing his daughter terribly and struggling to imagine how he would face the rest of his life in the shadow of this loss, Ben found solace in nature, the object of a lifelong fascination. As Ben set about rewilding his farm, nature became a vital source of meaning and hope.
This book is the story of a year of soul-searching that followed a terrible loss. In an instant, Ben’s world had turned dark. Yet, unbelievably to him, the seasons kept on turning, and as he immersed himself in the dramatic restoration of nature in the place where it happened, he found healing.
In God is an Octopus, Ben tells a powerful, immersive and inspiring story of finding comfort and strength in nature after suffering loss and despair.
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What listeners say about God Is an Octopus
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ms. Elizabeth M. Scott
- 23-05-23
Brilliant and touching
This is more than a story of hope in the midst of grief… more than an an exploration into rewilding. This book touched my soul deeply. It shone a light onto the spiritual mystery of life and beckoned me to bathe in the waters of soul-quenching love. Thankyou
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- CARYS LOCKWOOD
- 23-05-23
Amazing
From such grief comes hope.
Iris will always be with you,
Love will always survive.
I sore in you myself as a mother nearly 30 years ago.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Cassie
- 27-09-23
A beautiful teacher
I hope the world is to be blessed with more writings and insights of the sublime world you see and what you cannot, you kindly pass along to those that truth seek whom will find it in the small details of the natural world you note and write so very well But I hope it is without heart break to you and with a gentle stroke to your hand. I am so grateful I got to listen to this book.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- B
- 22-05-23
Beautiful
I loved this book, beautiful and sad but ultimately hopeful. Well written and good narration.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Tom tom
- 13-05-23
A must listen for every parent, every nature lover out there
This book has taken me through a poetic rollercoaster of feelings from moments of despair and sadness to moments of joy, inspiration and hope. It draws a paralysing line between the human journey, human relationship, and our relationship with nature. how beautiful it all is and how complicated and devastating at the same time. How simple yet unfathomable. God is an Octopus is a must read for every parent, every explorer, every person who wants to learn and grasp why humans need to save nature for humanity’s sake.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Alice Brudenell-Bruce
- 27-08-23
Listen and be inspired
Too beautiful and powerful to review.
This book broke my heart, warmed my heart and fired-up my heart.
Listen and be inspired.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Miss B
- 28-01-24
Powerful and raw
The book any parent hopes never to have to write . Beautifully expressed but at times too much to bear,this book will stay with me for a long time
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- Deborah
- 04-10-23
Brilliant
As someone who lost her husband suddenly and unexpectedly this year I was drawn to this book. My husband was a true eco warrior and so Ben’s passion for nature and his deep love of Iris and his family found a home in my heart. Highly recommend this book which delivers on so many levels .
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 16-06-23
Gut wrenchingly sad yet full of hope
Don’t think I have ever cried out loud at a book before - painful. But I had to keep reading to find the solace in the wonderful outcome of a father’s grief. Beautiful Iris. Thanks for writing this book. I now am questioning my own attitude to nature.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Lisa H
- 29-06-23
Deeply moving and inspiring
Highly recommend to anyone interested in nature, Rewilding or who would like to understand more about life beyond our normal daily lives. Beautiful, honest and profound.
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