Listen to a sample
Is a River Alive?
- Author
- Robert Macfarlane
- Narrator
- Robert Macfarlane
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Publish Date
- 1 May 2025
- Run Time
- 10 hours 41 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Rivers and lakes, Conservation of wildlife and habitats, Climate change, Environmentalist thought and ideology, Green politics / ecopolitics / environmentalism, Ecological science, the Biosphere, Human geography
- Rating
- 4.5 (4 reviews)
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
From celebrated writer Robert Macfarlane comes this brilliant, perspective-shifting new book – which answers a resounding yes to the question of its title.
At its heart is a single, transformative idea: that rivers are not mere matter for human use, but living beings – who should be recognized as such in both imagination and law. Is a River Alive? takes the reader on an exhilarating exploration of the past, present and futures of this ancient, urgent concept.
The book flows first to northern Ecuador, where a miraculous cloud-forest and its rivers are threatened by goldmining.
Then, to the wounded rivers, creeks and lagoons of southern India, where a desperate battle to save the lives of these waterbodies is under way.
And finally, to north-eastern Quebec, where a spectacular wild river – the Mutehekau or Magpie – is being defended from death by damming in a river-rights campaign.
At once Macfarlane’s most personal and most political book to date, Is a River Alive? will open hearts, spark debates and lead us to the revelation that our fate flows with that of rivers – and always has.
© Robert Macfarlane 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
Critics Review
-
Everyone who has ever found something to love in a river should find something to love in this book. It is a masterpiece
The Economist
-
One of the big publishing events (if not the biggest) of 2025 – a new book by Robert Macfarlane . . . Personal as well as political, it’s almost as certain to shift readerly perspectives as it is to be a bestseller
Observer, ‘Nonfiction to look forward to in 2025’
-
The book is a delight . . . So stirring, so surprising, so acute
The Times
-
Is a River Alive? is a powerful synthesis of literature, activism and ethics, reshaping the way we perceive the natural world
Observer
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
Whether fiction or non-fiction, all great books make you look at the world anew – and Macfarlane’s has changed the way I think about the natural world. In it, he explores the idea that rivers are not objects or resources but living beings, and by the end, that idea feels self-evident . . . A lyrical, persuasive invitation to look again at how we treat the systems that sustain us – and one of the year’s most necessary books
I Paper, '10 Best Books of the Year'
-
The narrative pull is strong in this book. I kept wanting to go back to it. Macfarlane has yet again demonstrated his genius as an author in creating a book that is alive, that has personality, that talked to me. I was sad when it ended. It has flowed into my daily thoughts ever since, much like a river continues to flow into the sea
Evening Standard
-
Beautiful, wild and wildly provocative
New Scientist
-
Macfarlane confronts the realities of the living, beating heart of the riverine world . . . With crystalline clarity and force, Macfarlane confronts the gross failure of our existing laws to protect rivers from harm . . . Such ideas are brought to life by the quality of the writing, the evocation of mood and place, the raw smells and energies that accompany Macfarlane, whether on a gentle walk into a Cambridge wood, or hurtling with mortal speed down a Canadian rapid
Financial Times
-
Impassioned and invigorating . . . Macfarlane is erudite and eclectic, and, though charismatic, doesn’t press his presence upon you. His books are adventurous, often involving truly remarkable companions; and at the sentence level no one could accuse him of painting by numbers . . .
Spectator
-
Macfarlane is England’s best nature writer, and once again his prose sings, its rhythm mirroring the subject matter. It’s liquid (or riverine) – surging, eddying and magnificently alive
The Spectator, 'Books of the Year II'
User Reviews
Book 4.5
Narration 4.8
- No written reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Robert Macfarlane
- Narrator
- Robert Macfarlane
- Duration
- 10 hours 41 minutes
- Release Date
- 1 May 2025
- ISBN
- 9781405975162
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Genre
- Rivers and lakes, Conservation of wildlife and habitats, Climate change, Environmentalist thought and ideology, Green politics / ecopolitics / environmentalism, Ecological science, the Biosphere, Human geography
- Rating
- 4.5(4 reviews)
- Narration
- 4.8(4 reviews)
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin.From celebrated writer Robert Macfarlane comes this brilliant, perspective-shifting new book – which answers a resounding yes to the question of its title.At its heart is a single, transformative idea: that rivers are not mere matter for human use, but living beings – who should be recognized as such in both imagination and law. Is a River Alive? takes the reader on an exhilarating exploration of the past, present and futures of this ancient, urgent concept.The book flows first to northern Ecuador, where a miraculous cloud-forest and its rivers are threatened by goldmining.Then, to the wounded rivers, creeks and lagoons of southern India, where a desperate battle to save the lives of these waterbodies is under way.And finally, to north-eastern Quebec, where a spectacular wild river – the Mutehekau or Magpie – is being defended from death by damming in a river-rights campaign.At once Macfarlane’s most personal and most political book to date, Is a River Alive? will open hearts, spark debates and lead us to the revelation that our fate flows with that of rivers – and always has.© Robert Macfarlane 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.