DIARY OF A YOUNG NATURALIST

By Dara McAnulty

Published by Little Toller Books

PRIOR to getting the chance to read this book I had no knowledge of what it would be like or its author, which is rare as I’m often persuaded to start reading if I recognise someone from their previous works or have heard about the book from a friend or family member.

At first glance, it came as a reasonably short and charming book about the author’s life and, of course, nature. This is all true, but what I couldn’t have guessed was that in the time it took me to read this book, I would become not only completely fascinated with Dara McAnulty’s story and connection to nature, but also more interested in the world around me.

This book is in the format of a diary and follows McAnulty’s life for a year between the ages of 14 and 15 and his perspective on his experiences during that time. Using this method of telling that story made it feel like a much more personal way to learn about someone else’s experience. The feeling of being welcomed into someone else’s world and their view of it is something that you normally only really find in autobiographical works.

The use of the diary format really brought alive the simple troubles and joys of everyday life.

The National:

Dara McAnulty’s poetic style of writing makes for an airy and captivating read. Down-to-earth, genuine content is described in a light, lyrical manner in a way which seems to perfectly capture the feelings the book describes. Throughout the account of the year we read about the main character’s experiences with autism, growing up and dealing with his family, all through the enchanting prism of his connection to nature.

He used that connection to cope with the problems he comes across along the way, particularly trying to deal with change in a constructive way with the help of his family and a love of literature, music and the world.

Although this is very obviously a story about someone else’s life experience, it cleverly draws parallels with the reader’s own experiences. There’s something about the consistency of nature that finds echoes in our own lives, whether it’s in vast fields and hills to explore, a local park or simply caring for a plant in the city. All can be deeply grounding.

The moral of the story is that there are some people and situations in life that can’t be relied on, and that although change can be a good thing it’s also comforting to have someone in your life you can turn to. That alone can make a world of difference.

This story really made sense in the format of a shorter book, with the coming-of-age themes simply portrayed and combining a perfect moment of understanding with a little magic.