Raising Hare

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of animal death.

Through the trial-and-error process of learning to care for a wild animal that often seems utterly unlike herself, Chloe learns to recognize and care for aspects of herself of which she was not previously aware. She enjoys her relationship with the hare even as she struggles with the fact that it is not a domesticated creature, that she must ultimately let it go, and that she cannot always keep it safe.

Chloe is an intelligent, driven individual who, at the beginning of the memoir, derives her identity in large part from her career. Because research is a key component of her job, she values learning and applies her interest in studying new topics to the hare. She researches hares’ habits, diets, and habitats along with doing a deep dive into the cultural history of hares in Europe and beyond. This process of research not only equips her with necessary practical knowledge; it also helps her to find meaning in challenging day-to-day interactions with the young hare. She notes: “Learning to care for the leveret was a process of experimentation” (49). She does her best to care for it properly, but acknowledges the missteps she makes along the way.