"Over the course of a year and a half, [the author] travelled Britain in search of wild otters; from her home in Devon to the wilds of Scotland; to Cumbria, Wales, Northumberland, Cornwall, Somerset and the river Lea; to her childhood home near the [river] Ouse, the source of her watery obsession. [The book] follows [her] search through different landscapes, seasons, wather and light, as she tracks one of Britain's most elusive animals. During her journey, she metters otter experts, representatives of he Environment Agency, conservationists, ecologists, walkers, Henry Williamson's family, Gavin Maxwell's heir, zoo keepers, fishermen, scientists, hunters and poets. ..."--Book jacket.