Kith

Book excerpt: Why are so many Western children unhappy? Why has childhood become so unnatural? Why are we scared to let our kids be free? In Kith, Jay Griffiths seeks to discover why we deny our children the freedoms of space, time and the natural world. Visiting communities as far apart as West Papua and the Arctic, as well as the UK, and delving into history, philosophy, language and literature, she explores how children's affinity for nature is an essential and universal element of childhood. It is a journey deep into the heart of what it means to be a child, and it is central to all our experiences, young and old. 'Scintillating, passionate, supremely honest. Adults and children need more books like this.' Literary Review 'A subterranean book. We excavate it to refind the secrets of childhood, our own, and many other childhoods in times and places far from ours.' John Berger 'Griffiths' understanding of how it feels to be a child is extraordinary, and her writing is as vivid as poetry.' Mail on Sunday 'I didn't just read this book; I revelled in it. There's a rare vitality and robust energy . . . reading this book feels like playing in the woods. An unabashedly Romantic rallying cry for childhood. Playful and polemical, emotional and imaginative. As vital as play itself.' Independent