"A profound meditation on the human need for connection with nature, as one man seeks solace beneath the bows of an ancient oak tree."—Peter Wohlleben, author ofThe Hidden Life of Trees"James Cantonknows so much, writes so well & understands so deeply about the true forest magic & the important place these trees have in it. Knowledge & joy."—Sara Maitland, author ofHow to Be AloneJoining the ranks ofThe Hidden Life of Trees&H is for Hawk, an evocative memoir & ode to one of the most majestic living things on earth—the oak tree—probing the mysteries of nature & the healing role it plays in our lives.Thrown into turmoil by the end of his long-term relationship,Professor James Cantonspent 2 years meditating [PA1]beneath the welcoming shelter of the massive 800-year-oldHonywood Oak treein North Essex, England. While considering the direction of his own life, he began to contemplate the existence of this colossus tree. Standing in England for centuries,the oakwould have been a sapling when the Magna Carta was signed in 1215.In this beautiful, transportive book,Cantontells the story of this tree in its ecological, spiritual, literary, & historical contexts, using it as a prism to see his own life & human history.The Oak Papersis a reflection on change & transformation, & the role nature has played in sustaining & redeeming us.Cantonexamines our long-standing dependency on the oak, & how that has developed & morphed into myth & legend. We no longer need these sturdy trees to build our houses & boats, to fuel our fires, or to grind their acorns into flour in times of famine. What purpose, then, do they serve in our world today? Are these miracles of nature no longer necessary to our lives? What can they offer us?Taking inspiration from the literary world—Henry David Thoreau, Leo Tolstoy, Katherine Basford’sGreen Man, Thomas Hardy, & William Shakespear