Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Deer Man

 


"The Universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.

Eden Phillpotts

Deer are intriguing to me.

I remember being drawn to the fleeting gaze of a deer, perceiving in her gentle eyes the radiance of her friendly nature and intelligence. My curiosity was satisfied by Geoffroy Delorme’s Deer Man, a unique book that surpassed all my expectations and became an all-time favorite.

  During his childhood Geoffroy Delorme had a disappointing experience at school, so the decision was made to homeschool him. This period of his life afforded him the time and space he needed to explore his interests in the natural world.  He devoured books by Dian Fossey, Jane Goodall and other naturalists. He also learned as much as he could about the forests in Normandy, France, where he lived.

 He researched the kinds of foods in the forest that could nourish his body, gleaning information about the rich variety of plants and trees.

Geoffroy bonded with the forest when he was a kid.

 When he was nineteen years old, he decided to immerse himself in those forests, living close to the roe deer. As they foraged for food in the same areas, the deer were very curious about his presence.

What was a human being doing there? The interest was mutual, and their interactions evolved into friendships.

 Geoffroy got to know each deer as a unique individual; complex relationships developed as they cooperated with each other, living side by side for seven years.

 Roe deer have the ability to tell the difference between good and evil, or between those who wish them well and those who wish to do them harm.

 Geoffroy Delorme learned as much as he could from the deer.  He adopted their sleeping habits and gained insights from them about the ways he could support his own nutrition; similarly, Geoffroy was able to guide the deer to safety at times, when hunters tried to attack them. Surviving in the forest was not an easy feat. Winter is harsh, and Geoffroy shares the details on how he was able to endure the season. It is also made harder by the way humans destroy the forests, threatening the sources of food needed to survive and thrive.



Adaptation to the natural environment is a long process that demands patience. Your metabolism changes. Your mind changes. Your reflexes change. Everything changes, but slowly.”

 It was human encroachment what pushed him out of the forest after seven years of living in the forests in France. His need to speak up for the deer and the forest compelled him to write Deer Man.

 The forest brings us food and medicine. Without it, our landscapes would be nothing but desolation, and life would be reduced to the most total silence. It is the forest that purifies the atmosphere and allows us to breathe the oxygen indispensable to all living creatures”.



 The experience of living side by side with his deer friends taught him a lot about himself, and he dedicated this book to Chevy:

 “To Chevy, my best friend.

You taught me to live, to feel, to love,

To believe that everything was possible,

And to become myself.”


 

 I cried many times with Deer Man and I’m sure other readers cried too. This book warms the heart and educates the mind. Inspiring and mesmerizing, Deer Man will hopefully instill in peoples’ consciousness the wisdom to guide themselves toward respectful empathic choices, to genuinely honor life through their own humane behaviors. Jane Goodall makes it clear in one line: “Read this book and enter into another world.”

 You can learn more about Geoffroy Delorme’s forest experiences by checking this fascinating conversation at the Greystone Books site.