God Is An Octopus

From the deepest sorrow, the highest hope. Intensely readable, poetic, truthful, wise and wonderful, this will live with me for a very long time. -- Stephen Fry
An event of unimaginable trauma is transformed into a message of beauty and optimism through Ben’s passion for nature, which acts as his nurse, teacher and redeemer. -- Joanna Lumley
Stunningly beautiful, immensely sad, immensely uplifting, this is a book of grief and joy and wonder and renewal. -- George Monbiot
An extraordinarily powerful and moving journey through the darkest of griefs to the enduring love, hope and renewal of the natural world. A book of universal wisdom. -- Benedict Cumberbatch
A brilliant new book… heartbreaking. -- David Walliams
Beautiful and deeply moving, this will resonate with and inspire so many people. -- Isabella Tree
Extraordinary. -- Rebecca Hardy * The Daily Mail *
Goldsmith has written an extraordinary book, God is an Octopus, about his journey through grief and his exploration of the afterlife. -- Audrey Ward * The Sunday Times *
Ben chronicles the unfathomable tragedy of his daughter’s death with the profound love and compassion of a bereft parent. -- Richard E. Grant
An ambitious blend of memoir, nature diary and search for the meaning of life, the universe and everything ... [God is an Octopus] powerfully communicates the capacity of nature to rebound. -- Alice O'Keeffe * The Times *
Some of the finest writing about nature you will find anywhere. -- Roger Alton * The Daily Mail *
[Ben] does a quite astonishing job… finding incredible meaning in Iris’s short life and the connection with nature he experienced after her sudden death. -- Bryony Gordon * The Telegraph *
This book is as beautiful as it is painful to read ... The emotional depth of God is an Octopus makes it a deeply moving and thought-provoking read. * The London Standard, Greatest reads of 2024 *
A compelling journey from the very heart of loss to the sanctuary and hope that only the natural world provides – emotive, raw and captivating. -- Benedict Macdonald, Winner of the Wainwright Prize for Global Conservation
A heartbreaking yet ultimately inspiring memoir of the personal spiritual odyssey. -- Anthony Cummins * The Daily Mail *
A tribute not just to a lost child but also to nature’s regenerative power. -- Hephzibah Anderson * The Observer *
A meandering pathway through the thickets of grief ... this is a devastating book, unflinching, but written with lyricism. -- Gavanndra Hodge * The Daily Telegraph *
Simply the most powerful and profound words I’ve ever read on grief... I clung to every sentence like a limpet hoping that time would slow down so I could digest and remember every word. -- Georgia Toffolo
Remarkable memoir… This book will bring comfort and hope to anyone experiencing grief. -- Kate Blincoe * The Guardian *
A heartbreaking book, but also an uplifting book which solaces the heart. -- Tom Stoppard
[A] moving account of how reconnecting with nature helped [Goldsmith] rebuild a capacity for joy. * The Guardian, Saturday magazine *
Poignant and very moving … a compelling piece of writing. -- Stephen Moss * BBC Countryfile *
[Goldsmith’s] personal experiences and thoughts feel vividly real to the reader ... An extraordinarily powerful, optimistic and wise read. -- Hatta Byng * House & Garden *
[An] engaging book, part memoir, part ecological tract -- Richard Hopton * Country & Town House *
In this very moving memoir, the leading rewilder and green investor bares his soul to let us into the darkest moments of his most private grief … His themes of loss, love and recovery are universal, the story beautifully told. -- Ben Hoare * BBC Countryfile *
A very moving book … [It] tore at my heart, as it will yours, but it’ll also make you feel better and more hopeful. -- John Miles * Bird Watching *
[A] haunting meditation on grief and nature. -- Richard Askwith * The Times *
This beautiful book is an unflinching account of grief, with love and hope at its heart. -- Jane Shilling * The Daily Mail *