A few days after her elderly father is admitted to hospital, Sarah Sands and her grandson find a poorly hedgehog in the garden. They name her Peggy, and her fate becomes a matter of pressing concern.

There is something about hedgehogs - homely and yet mysterious, prickly and defenceless, wild and tame - that makes us feel deeply sympathetic to them.

Having managed to outlive roads, dogs, strimmers and pesticides, hedgehogs are now an endangered species. For Sarah Sands, our failure to protect them is a symptom of our alienation from the living world.

But all is not yet lost. In this charming book, Sands explores the meaning and morals of hedgehogs, and finds, in hedgehog world, a source of deep solace and wisdom.