Set in the valley of the Mesta, one of the oldest inhabited river valleys in Europe and a nexus for wild plant gatherers, Elixir is an unforgettable exploration of the deep connections between people, plants and place. Pre-order Kapka Kassabova’s new book, Anima: A Wild Pastoral, now‘Kassabova had me under her spell from page one’GUARDIANOver several seasons, Kapka Kassabova spends time with the men and women of this magical region.She witnesses their rare knowledge, not only of mountain plants and the ancient practice of herbalism, but also of how to transform collective suffering into healing.Elixir is, at its heart, an urgent, hopeful call to rethink how we live – in relation to one another, and to the world around us. * Shortlisted for the Highland Book Prize 2023 *‘Dark and mysterious and beautiful’FINANCIAL TIMES‘Uplifting and beautifully written’MARK COCKER, SPECTATOR‘Extraordinary’COUNTRY LIFE