Summary

The first chapter of Double Blind introduces Francis, a naturalist working at an estate called Howorth in southern England. Francis leads the wilding effort at Howorth; he is attempting to convert the former agricultural land back to wilderness. As he walks around the property, he looks forward to his reunion with Olivia Carr, a woman he met at an academic conference. He considers the nature of his work, particularly in the context of modern environmental crises, and clarifies that he hopes to “understand the dynamics of an unmanaged landscape and relaunch them in the modern world” (10). Francis, expecting Olivia’s arrival in a few hours, returns to his cottage to prepare for her visit.

In Chapter 2, an English woman named Lucy awaits the departure of her plane. She is flying from New York to London in order to begin her new job as...