Fox and I: An Uncommon Friendship

In this lyrical debut memoir, biologist and former park ranger Raven explores her relationship with a wild fox born near her remote cabin in Montana. After buying property and building a cabin there, she encountered a scrawny male fox, who seemed to be unafraid of her; soon the fox (whom she calls Fox here) was rendezvousing with Raven at 4:15 pm each afternoon. The two develop a friendship as they share their lives—a relationship that the author considers to be her first real friendship. Because biologists tend to disdain anthropomorphism, Raven was initially reluctant to share the particulars of this friendship with peers, but she ultimately does so with this memoir. It is beautifully descriptive, with details about the natural history of Montana and fox biology. Raven brings to life the foxes (and other animals and plants she discusses) as she weaves in concepts from Melville’s Moby Dick and Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince. Her evocative descriptions also relay the vivid scenery in and around her cabin.