This is a strange book, slow-moving, often lyrical and, sometimes, slightly patronising. The narrator is captivated by the idea of seeing all the butterfly species native to Denmark in a single year. Later, it is fair to say that it becomes something of an obsession.

The search tells you a lot about Danish landscape and the varieties she encounters. It also tells you more about butterflies and their odd breeding cycles and metamorphoses.

However, in the second part of the book the narrative diverts and, more generally, talks about species decline, the loss of landscapes and the damage done by man. Also, there is a focus on extinction in all species and in all parts of the world as well as a tendency to lecture the reader!

Notwithstanding this, there is some interesting information about famous butterfly enthusiasts including, perhaps unexpectedly, Vladimir Nabokov and Winston Churchill and the search does continue for more butterflies until the end. If you worry about the environment, there’s much to enjoy in the slow pace of this book but it won’t be for everybody.