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The Secret World of Twilight: A Natural History of Dusk and Dawn
Every day, just before sunrise and straight after sunset, magic happens. Dawn and dusk – those fleeting, half-lit hours – are when the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Skies flare with colour, landscapes shift in mood and an unseen cast of creatures emerges from the shadows. Welcome to twilight.
In THE SECRET WORLD OF TWILIGHT, author and smallholder Sally Coulthard invites us into this magical in-between realm, where seductive night-blooming flowers open, secretive mammals stir, giant moths reign and fantastical sea creatures ride the tide. Twilight profoundly affects human life too – but in our age of electric light and closed doors, we've almost forgotten how to see it.
Blending natural history, folklore and memoir, Coulthard reveals twilight as a vital, liminal one that has inspired awe for millennia and still has the power to illuminate our daily lives.
In THE SECRET WORLD OF TWILIGHT, author and smallholder Sally Coulthard invites us into this magical in-between realm, where seductive night-blooming flowers open, secretive mammals stir, giant moths reign and fantastical sea creatures ride the tide. Twilight profoundly affects human life too – but in our age of electric light and closed doors, we've almost forgotten how to see it.
Blending natural history, folklore and memoir, Coulthard reveals twilight as a vital, liminal one that has inspired awe for millennia and still has the power to illuminate our daily lives.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published July 28, 2026
About the author
Sally Coulthard
39 books132 followers After studying Archaeology & Anthropology at Oxford University, best-selling author and designer Sally Coulthard has spent the last twenty years designing, making and writing about homes, craft and outdoor spaces. She sees no boundary between the rules that govern good interior design and those which are needed to craft a spectacular studio or glorious garden.
Keen to make good design accessible, she’s written over twenty books about restoring houses, designing interiors and outdoor living. From garden styles to craftsmanship, creating workspaces to building sheds, Sally’s books inspire, encourage and equip readers to take on projects of their own.
Sally is a passionate advocate of rural living and regularly writes about nature and her experiences of smallholding deep in North Yorkshire countryside, including her ‘Good Life in Country’ column for Country Living magazine.
Keen to make good design accessible, she’s written over twenty books about restoring houses, designing interiors and outdoor living. From garden styles to craftsmanship, creating workspaces to building sheds, Sally’s books inspire, encourage and equip readers to take on projects of their own.
Sally is a passionate advocate of rural living and regularly writes about nature and her experiences of smallholding deep in North Yorkshire countryside, including her ‘Good Life in Country’ column for Country Living magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC
This book is one of those rare reads that makes you feel like the world has quietly expanded while you were turning pages.
Sally Coulthard takes dusk and reveals just how rich, magical, wild, fleeting, and absurdly beautiful it is. It's a shape-shifting liminal creature hovering between day and night.
One minute you’re absorbing animal antics and their secret twilight strategies. The next you’re tumbling headfirst into folklore, myths, and rituals that humans have performed for centuries. Science, culture, history, storytelling... they’re all mashed together in a chaotic ballet. And despite the information overload, you never feel like someone's lecturing you.
Coulthard’s writing is warm and lyrical, but never cloying. She paints with words that feel alive. There’s wonder dripping from every paragraph, pulling you into noticing the world: the tiny shifts, the sounds, the almost imperceptible transitions that we usually trudge on past. Suddenly, dusk is screaming to be noticed, and you can’t look away.
This book reframes twilight not just as a time of day, but as an ecological and cultural space. It's also about us. Our fears and superstitions. Our creativity. Our rhythms. Our history. Our connection to light and darkness. It’s simultaneously soothing and exhilarating, while being a little bit uncanny. Coulthard paints twilight as a beautiful, magical ecosystem and encourages you to notice things you don't even know you've been missing.
This book is one of those rare reads that makes you feel like the world has quietly expanded while you were turning pages.
Sally Coulthard takes dusk and reveals just how rich, magical, wild, fleeting, and absurdly beautiful it is. It's a shape-shifting liminal creature hovering between day and night.
One minute you’re absorbing animal antics and their secret twilight strategies. The next you’re tumbling headfirst into folklore, myths, and rituals that humans have performed for centuries. Science, culture, history, storytelling... they’re all mashed together in a chaotic ballet. And despite the information overload, you never feel like someone's lecturing you.
Coulthard’s writing is warm and lyrical, but never cloying. She paints with words that feel alive. There’s wonder dripping from every paragraph, pulling you into noticing the world: the tiny shifts, the sounds, the almost imperceptible transitions that we usually trudge on past. Suddenly, dusk is screaming to be noticed, and you can’t look away.
This book reframes twilight not just as a time of day, but as an ecological and cultural space. It's also about us. Our fears and superstitions. Our creativity. Our rhythms. Our history. Our connection to light and darkness. It’s simultaneously soothing and exhilarating, while being a little bit uncanny. Coulthard paints twilight as a beautiful, magical ecosystem and encourages you to notice things you don't even know you've been missing.
February 7, 2026
When I saw this book available on NetGalley, it was a no-brainer; I had to request it and hope I would be allowed to read and review it as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy). I was very excited when I received an email notification that the book was available and ready for me to dive right in.
The reason for my excitement is that I have been fascinated by twilight from a very young age and, although I have not witnessed many dawns in my lifetime (well, the truth is that I am not a very early morning kind of individual), I have seen a few and have been mesmerised by their beauty and uniqueness.
The reality is that, every single day, dusk and dawn will happen, but not one single one of them will ever be the same. Sally Coulthard reinforces this truth and walks us through the extraordinary, breathtaking, and fascinating history of Twilight in a book written with tremendous care and wisdom, showing us how vital twilight really is to all living beings that inhabit planet Earth.
The book is jam-packed with essential scientific information, fun facts, and Sally’s personal stories about this time of day, presented in a series of “diary entries” where she discusses how the nature around her on her farm in Yorkshire is affected by dawn and dusk from Winter to Autumn.
Despite being a book about the Natural History of Twilight, Coulthard’s language is very accessible and easy to digest. I was blown away by her ability to make me laugh at times about some of the scientific facts in the book, and I was also deeply touched by the poetic descriptions of one of Nature’s most remarkable displays of beauty and care for all living creatures on this planet.
The chapter about the ocean’s twilight zone is a must-read! Simply fantastic.
One of the key messages of this book for me is that we need to, collectively, return to our roots and pay close attention to Nature and its rhythms. Sally shows, with many examples and scientific evidence, that we have been disconnected from Nature for far too long, and that our mental and physical health are unquestionably paying a terrible price.
As Sally beautifully discusses: “Twilight is the blazing cauldron that separates day from night. And, like many things in life, we have lost touch with its magic”.
Fantastic read!
The reason for my excitement is that I have been fascinated by twilight from a very young age and, although I have not witnessed many dawns in my lifetime (well, the truth is that I am not a very early morning kind of individual), I have seen a few and have been mesmerised by their beauty and uniqueness.
The reality is that, every single day, dusk and dawn will happen, but not one single one of them will ever be the same. Sally Coulthard reinforces this truth and walks us through the extraordinary, breathtaking, and fascinating history of Twilight in a book written with tremendous care and wisdom, showing us how vital twilight really is to all living beings that inhabit planet Earth.
The book is jam-packed with essential scientific information, fun facts, and Sally’s personal stories about this time of day, presented in a series of “diary entries” where she discusses how the nature around her on her farm in Yorkshire is affected by dawn and dusk from Winter to Autumn.
Despite being a book about the Natural History of Twilight, Coulthard’s language is very accessible and easy to digest. I was blown away by her ability to make me laugh at times about some of the scientific facts in the book, and I was also deeply touched by the poetic descriptions of one of Nature’s most remarkable displays of beauty and care for all living creatures on this planet.
The chapter about the ocean’s twilight zone is a must-read! Simply fantastic.
One of the key messages of this book for me is that we need to, collectively, return to our roots and pay close attention to Nature and its rhythms. Sally shows, with many examples and scientific evidence, that we have been disconnected from Nature for far too long, and that our mental and physical health are unquestionably paying a terrible price.
As Sally beautifully discusses: “Twilight is the blazing cauldron that separates day from night. And, like many things in life, we have lost touch with its magic”.
Fantastic read!
January 31, 2026
To begin with I was really enjoying reading this book because of all the new information I was discovering. A very interesting thing I learnt is that there are three phases of Twilight - Civil, nautical, and astronomical!
However, once I got into chapter two, the formatting in my digital ARC was so bad that it was difficult to absorb any more information being put forward by the author, which is very disappointing as I was excited to learn more. Sadly, I ended up having to DNF at 20%.
With thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
However, once I got into chapter two, the formatting in my digital ARC was so bad that it was difficult to absorb any more information being put forward by the author, which is very disappointing as I was excited to learn more. Sadly, I ended up having to DNF at 20%.
With thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sally Coulthard has captured a condition of being that most of us dismiss as a simple transition between light and dark. In The Secret World of Twilight, she focuses on those fragile, blue-hued slivers of time where the rules of the day don't quite apply yet. The central tension isn't a plot in the traditional sense; it is the friction between our modern, artificial world of LEDs and the ancient, biological rhythms of the crepuscular hours. We have effectively paved over the dusk with electricity, and this book serves as a quiet, necessary reminder of what we lost in the trade.
The "protagonist" here is really the light itself, or the lack of it, and how it dictates the behavior of everything from night-blooming jasmine to the secretive mammals that only stir when the sun hits a specific angle. Coulthard moves through this world with the steady, unsentimental eye of a smallholder. She doesn't need to dress up the facts with flowery prose because the reality of a giant moth or a shifting tide is interesting enough on its own. It is an observational growth process for the reader; you start the book seeing a dim sky and finish it seeing a complex, high-stakes theater of survival and folklore.
I enjoy the lack of frills here. Sharp and concise, the tone prioritizes unambiguous facts over the common "nature-as-therapy" clichés that frequently overburden this genre. It has a caustic humor that prevents it from sounding like a sermon, yet it is grounded and intellectual, reminding me of the best kind of British nature writing. Without succumbing to cheap nostalgia, she puts our predecessors' terror and awe for the "gloaming" in context. It examines how humans have separated ourselves from the planet's natural cycles.
The book stands out because it refuses to be one thing. It's half scientific study, part cultural history, and part biography, but it never feels disjointed. If I had one criticism, it would be that the book makes our indoor, screen-lit existence seem especially antiseptic in comparison. It strikes a particular emotional chord, a kind of calm regret for the silence we no longer have. It does not scream for your attention; instead, it waits for you to relax and look around.
We spend so much time optimizing our days and sleeping through our nights that we ignore the most interesting part of the twenty-four-hour cycle. After reading this, you should definitely walk outside and watch the sun set without checking your phone. The world is doing something spectacular in those twenty minutes, and it doesn't care if you're watching, though you definitely should be.
The "protagonist" here is really the light itself, or the lack of it, and how it dictates the behavior of everything from night-blooming jasmine to the secretive mammals that only stir when the sun hits a specific angle. Coulthard moves through this world with the steady, unsentimental eye of a smallholder. She doesn't need to dress up the facts with flowery prose because the reality of a giant moth or a shifting tide is interesting enough on its own. It is an observational growth process for the reader; you start the book seeing a dim sky and finish it seeing a complex, high-stakes theater of survival and folklore.
I enjoy the lack of frills here. Sharp and concise, the tone prioritizes unambiguous facts over the common "nature-as-therapy" clichés that frequently overburden this genre. It has a caustic humor that prevents it from sounding like a sermon, yet it is grounded and intellectual, reminding me of the best kind of British nature writing. Without succumbing to cheap nostalgia, she puts our predecessors' terror and awe for the "gloaming" in context. It examines how humans have separated ourselves from the planet's natural cycles.
The book stands out because it refuses to be one thing. It's half scientific study, part cultural history, and part biography, but it never feels disjointed. If I had one criticism, it would be that the book makes our indoor, screen-lit existence seem especially antiseptic in comparison. It strikes a particular emotional chord, a kind of calm regret for the silence we no longer have. It does not scream for your attention; instead, it waits for you to relax and look around.
We spend so much time optimizing our days and sleeping through our nights that we ignore the most interesting part of the twenty-four-hour cycle. After reading this, you should definitely walk outside and watch the sun set without checking your phone. The world is doing something spectacular in those twenty minutes, and it doesn't care if you're watching, though you definitely should be.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sally Coulthard draws us in to the magical and mysterious world of twilight, which has captivated humanity for centuries.
The main focus of the book is on the natural world, and the animals that rely on the twilight hours (who I now know are called ‘crepuscular’). Much of Coulthard’s focus is on creatures and ecosystems that can be found in the British Isles, drawing on her own experience as well as scientific research. There are so many animals, from bats to frogs to owls to dragonflies, that come out during the twilight, and I had no idea that it was so crucial to so many animals’ routines.
Coulthard is also interested in the human interest in twilight, and how it interacts with our own history and culture. From pre-historic monuments, to Charles Dickens’ novels, to our modern light pollution, it’s clear that twilight is just as important to humans as it is to any other animal, as much as we might pretend otherwise.
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Each chapter looks at a different aspect of the natural world during twilight, and between each chapter are the ‘twilight diaries’, which have more personal introspection, and more of the human history of twilight. By weaving the two together in this way, it’s impossible not to see how we as a global society have lost this connection to the natural changes of the light, and what benefit it had for us until relatively recently.
I’ve never come across a non-fiction book that is as atmospheric as this one. I immediately felt drawn in to the mystique of the twilight hours, and it made me yearn for a trip to the countryside! Next time I’m out of the city, I definitely want to find a quiet spot to observe the twilight, and to appreciate the cycle of the day. There was something incredibly comforting about this book, and while I’ve never described non-fiction as ‘cosy’ before, I think that might be an apt word in this case.
This was a really wonderful read, both full of interesting information while still being atmospheric and evocative. I really recommend it to anyone who wants to bring a bit of the countryside into their reading.
I received a free copy for an honest review.
The main focus of the book is on the natural world, and the animals that rely on the twilight hours (who I now know are called ‘crepuscular’). Much of Coulthard’s focus is on creatures and ecosystems that can be found in the British Isles, drawing on her own experience as well as scientific research. There are so many animals, from bats to frogs to owls to dragonflies, that come out during the twilight, and I had no idea that it was so crucial to so many animals’ routines.
Coulthard is also interested in the human interest in twilight, and how it interacts with our own history and culture. From pre-historic monuments, to Charles Dickens’ novels, to our modern light pollution, it’s clear that twilight is just as important to humans as it is to any other animal, as much as we might pretend otherwise.
📚Blog📖YouTube📖Instagram📚
Each chapter looks at a different aspect of the natural world during twilight, and between each chapter are the ‘twilight diaries’, which have more personal introspection, and more of the human history of twilight. By weaving the two together in this way, it’s impossible not to see how we as a global society have lost this connection to the natural changes of the light, and what benefit it had for us until relatively recently.
I’ve never come across a non-fiction book that is as atmospheric as this one. I immediately felt drawn in to the mystique of the twilight hours, and it made me yearn for a trip to the countryside! Next time I’m out of the city, I definitely want to find a quiet spot to observe the twilight, and to appreciate the cycle of the day. There was something incredibly comforting about this book, and while I’ve never described non-fiction as ‘cosy’ before, I think that might be an apt word in this case.
This was a really wonderful read, both full of interesting information while still being atmospheric and evocative. I really recommend it to anyone who wants to bring a bit of the countryside into their reading.
I received a free copy for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Goodness gracious, this is a wonderful, wonderful book! We are all aware of twilight, the special time between clear and dark. But how deeply do we ponder it? Author Sally Coulthard describes this incredible subject in breathtaking detail with sharp clarity, yet in a friendly conversational tone. I have always enjoyed the scents of twilight flowers such as evening scented phlox and honeysuckle, the cacophony of birds early mornings, and watching fireflies and bats zip around "after hours" But this book has increased my mindfulness of these magical hours exponentially.
Not only does the author use firsthand knowledge and observations from her farm (chickens and roosters and much more) but has delved deeper into the importance and relevance of twilight. Amongst the topics which struck me most include crepuscular creatures, crucial circadian rhythm, the differences between sunrise and sunset, the fact that the moon doesn't have twilight, life forms have preferred "time-slots" (love that!), the sad and enlightening story of Michel Siffre's experiment living underground, and how many birds "see" with their skulls and brains. Some standout examples are Arctic reindeer's eyes turning golden yellow in the summer and blue in the winter, the midnight horror tree, pigbutt (!) worm (that was an interesting rabbit hole), and the sweetest in my opinion is the pollen bee snuggling into the hawkbit flowers just before they close for the night.
Since absorbing this book like a sponge, I see twilight differently. I have always enjoyed evening and predawn walks but now am even more mindful of heightened senses during these hours. I am already putting my new knowledge into practice and know it will become a lovely life habit. Anything to enrich my life in nature is a big win for me. Nature is always around me, as though our house has been plunked onto a nature reserve. But one can use this information for city park walks, too. If you enjoy the enchanting mysteries of nature, this book is unmissable.
Not only does the author use firsthand knowledge and observations from her farm (chickens and roosters and much more) but has delved deeper into the importance and relevance of twilight. Amongst the topics which struck me most include crepuscular creatures, crucial circadian rhythm, the differences between sunrise and sunset, the fact that the moon doesn't have twilight, life forms have preferred "time-slots" (love that!), the sad and enlightening story of Michel Siffre's experiment living underground, and how many birds "see" with their skulls and brains. Some standout examples are Arctic reindeer's eyes turning golden yellow in the summer and blue in the winter, the midnight horror tree, pigbutt (!) worm (that was an interesting rabbit hole), and the sweetest in my opinion is the pollen bee snuggling into the hawkbit flowers just before they close for the night.
Since absorbing this book like a sponge, I see twilight differently. I have always enjoyed evening and predawn walks but now am even more mindful of heightened senses during these hours. I am already putting my new knowledge into practice and know it will become a lovely life habit. Anything to enrich my life in nature is a big win for me. Nature is always around me, as though our house has been plunked onto a nature reserve. But one can use this information for city park walks, too. If you enjoy the enchanting mysteries of nature, this book is unmissable.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Head of Zeus | Apollo, the author, and NetGalley for a DRC in return for an honest review.
This book has all the comforting, quietly wondrous feel of a David Attenborough nature documentary in written form. Make your hot drink of choice, sink into your favourite armchair, put your feet up and simply soak it all in.
The Secret World of Twilight is one of those rare feel-good books that gently insists you slow down and pay attention. Blending memoir, natural history and folklore, Sally Coulthard explores the liminal hours of dusk and dawn with warmth, curiosity and an obvious depth of knowledge. Filled with fascinating facts and first-hand observations from her life as a smallholder, this is a book that consistently made me smile. Who knew twilight had so much to reveal?
Coulthard brings these in-between hours vividly to life, explaining the three stages of twilight and introducing readers to crepuscular plants and animals that thrive when the world is neither fully light nor fully dark. Her writing makes it easy to mentally picture every scene, every sound and every subtle shift in the landscape. You truly feel as though you are learning the quiet secrets that dusk and dawn have been keeping from us.
At just under 300 pages, this is a relatively short and very accessible read, though I did find myself wishing for illustrations to accompany some of the descriptions, not because the writing lacks clarity, but because the subject matter invites lingering and visual exploration.
Even though we are only one month into 2026, I can already say, hand on heart, that this will be one of my favourite books of the year. Discovering that Sally Coulthard has written over twenty-five non-fiction titles means I’ll definitely be seeking out more of her work.
A gentle, absorbing and quietly magical read.
#TheSecretWorldOfTwilight #NetGalley
This book has all the comforting, quietly wondrous feel of a David Attenborough nature documentary in written form. Make your hot drink of choice, sink into your favourite armchair, put your feet up and simply soak it all in.
The Secret World of Twilight is one of those rare feel-good books that gently insists you slow down and pay attention. Blending memoir, natural history and folklore, Sally Coulthard explores the liminal hours of dusk and dawn with warmth, curiosity and an obvious depth of knowledge. Filled with fascinating facts and first-hand observations from her life as a smallholder, this is a book that consistently made me smile. Who knew twilight had so much to reveal?
Coulthard brings these in-between hours vividly to life, explaining the three stages of twilight and introducing readers to crepuscular plants and animals that thrive when the world is neither fully light nor fully dark. Her writing makes it easy to mentally picture every scene, every sound and every subtle shift in the landscape. You truly feel as though you are learning the quiet secrets that dusk and dawn have been keeping from us.
At just under 300 pages, this is a relatively short and very accessible read, though I did find myself wishing for illustrations to accompany some of the descriptions, not because the writing lacks clarity, but because the subject matter invites lingering and visual exploration.
Even though we are only one month into 2026, I can already say, hand on heart, that this will be one of my favourite books of the year. Discovering that Sally Coulthard has written over twenty-five non-fiction titles means I’ll definitely be seeking out more of her work.
A gentle, absorbing and quietly magical read.
#TheSecretWorldOfTwilight #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a gorgeously written love letter to a world that's hidden in plain sight - both poetic and brimming with facts.
The Secret World of Twilight is a non-fiction book written by an author who, as I discovered through the book, lives only a matter of miles from my home - a bit of a surprise! This little connection gave me an additional depth while reading as I know that I'm seeing the same twilights, dawns and dusks as her, and this has encouraged me to slow down and notice those same moments which are often lost to me in a whirlwind of kids' bedtimes and trying to get school shoes on feet with a piece of toast in one hand.
The diary sections interspersed between the more factual chapters invite you to quietly observe the world of twilight. Somehow these sections allow you to be introspective and reflective at the same time as looking outside your own experience into the wider world.
The main chapters gave excellent factual insight into the liminal spaces of the day - I have already spouted 3 or 4 facts about twilight to my family (where the name "daisies" comes from, for example)
I really enjoyed how the narrative particularly reminds you to look outside your experience of the world. It reminded me of another non-fiction I loved called An Immense World by Ed Yong which invites you to explore the "Umwelten" of different animals, to imagine how they see and move through their worlds in a way that's different to us. That's a book that's really stuck with me, as I know this one will too.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for an ARC of this book.
The Secret World of Twilight is a non-fiction book written by an author who, as I discovered through the book, lives only a matter of miles from my home - a bit of a surprise! This little connection gave me an additional depth while reading as I know that I'm seeing the same twilights, dawns and dusks as her, and this has encouraged me to slow down and notice those same moments which are often lost to me in a whirlwind of kids' bedtimes and trying to get school shoes on feet with a piece of toast in one hand.
The diary sections interspersed between the more factual chapters invite you to quietly observe the world of twilight. Somehow these sections allow you to be introspective and reflective at the same time as looking outside your own experience into the wider world.
The main chapters gave excellent factual insight into the liminal spaces of the day - I have already spouted 3 or 4 facts about twilight to my family (where the name "daisies" comes from, for example)
I really enjoyed how the narrative particularly reminds you to look outside your experience of the world. It reminded me of another non-fiction I loved called An Immense World by Ed Yong which invites you to explore the "Umwelten" of different animals, to imagine how they see and move through their worlds in a way that's different to us. That's a book that's really stuck with me, as I know this one will too.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for an ARC of this book.
August 3, 2026
I always keep my cats in when that strange part of the day arrives - the bit between light and dark, day and night. At night, at dusk, we see bats flying low in the garden and in the morning, at dawn, there are hosts of small creatures doing there thing. For the rest of us, cats included, we keep away. This strange world doesn't belong to us.
So it was with great interest that I chose to read this (mostly) non-fiction book, fascinated by this natural eerie unknown part of the world. The author is a smallholder in the Howardian Hills in north Yorkshire and is frequently out in the twilight helping with lambing, so she is well placed to talk about this special part of the day. For the sheep, it tends to be at dawn when they give birth and I wonder if they have some kind of instinct about twilight. They are not the only animals to behave differently then, like the bats in my garden.
The book covers the folklore, rituals and beliefs surrounding twilight and this balances nicely with the science surrounding it: how and why it works that way, for instance. It has been well researched through the ages. And to make this truly magical, the author includes poetry and creative works that have celebrated twilight.
There is subtle artwork to enhance the reading experience and the friendly prose sets the tone of this book. It is personal and warm, autobiographical at times, while the mix of cold science opens our eyes to a whole world we don't know. Beautifully written, immersive, vibrant and enchanting. History, science, art and enchantment. I came away after reading the book feeling informed and yet innocent. Lovely book.
So it was with great interest that I chose to read this (mostly) non-fiction book, fascinated by this natural eerie unknown part of the world. The author is a smallholder in the Howardian Hills in north Yorkshire and is frequently out in the twilight helping with lambing, so she is well placed to talk about this special part of the day. For the sheep, it tends to be at dawn when they give birth and I wonder if they have some kind of instinct about twilight. They are not the only animals to behave differently then, like the bats in my garden.
The book covers the folklore, rituals and beliefs surrounding twilight and this balances nicely with the science surrounding it: how and why it works that way, for instance. It has been well researched through the ages. And to make this truly magical, the author includes poetry and creative works that have celebrated twilight.
There is subtle artwork to enhance the reading experience and the friendly prose sets the tone of this book. It is personal and warm, autobiographical at times, while the mix of cold science opens our eyes to a whole world we don't know. Beautifully written, immersive, vibrant and enchanting. History, science, art and enchantment. I came away after reading the book feeling informed and yet innocent. Lovely book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Secret World of Twilight is just the sort of non-fiction I love at the moment. Written in poetic prose with a loving appreciation of the multitudes of intricate detail that fill its pages, it is a marvellous journey into a little understood time of day, dawn and dusk. The reader happily dives deep into twilight and the creatures who thrive there, us included. It's not only daylight and nighttime that matter but the magical half light where wonders occur.
I honestly grabbed this book because I love so many crepuscular creatures - owls, bats, moths, cats - and hoped to learn more about them. I did, thank you, but learned much more than I could have expected. The terrestrial world is astounding but the lives of the creatures that dwell in the twilight zone of the sea is utterly mind-boggling. I know light pollution is a big problem, and can see the lit horizon of the nearest town from my rural door step, but never thought our artificially illuminated world could cause so much damage. Everyone should read this and strive to keep the night as dark as possible for all living creatures.
Thank you, Sally Coulthard, for your no nonsense (dare I say Yorkshire?) approach to this beautifully wondrous time and the marvels that unfold when light is soft and low. The Secret World of Twilight is choked full of amazing facts delivered in a gentle way that makes it all easily palatable and wholly intriguing. Skilfully done. I am so pleased to have found you and look forward to my next adventure with you.
I honestly grabbed this book because I love so many crepuscular creatures - owls, bats, moths, cats - and hoped to learn more about them. I did, thank you, but learned much more than I could have expected. The terrestrial world is astounding but the lives of the creatures that dwell in the twilight zone of the sea is utterly mind-boggling. I know light pollution is a big problem, and can see the lit horizon of the nearest town from my rural door step, but never thought our artificially illuminated world could cause so much damage. Everyone should read this and strive to keep the night as dark as possible for all living creatures.
Thank you, Sally Coulthard, for your no nonsense (dare I say Yorkshire?) approach to this beautifully wondrous time and the marvels that unfold when light is soft and low. The Secret World of Twilight is choked full of amazing facts delivered in a gentle way that makes it all easily palatable and wholly intriguing. Skilfully done. I am so pleased to have found you and look forward to my next adventure with you.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I've always been a creature of twilight, especially those quiet moments before sunrise. Living on a mountaintop in New Hampshire for the past decade has taught me to pay attention—to the first birdsong, the changing quality of the light, the mist settling in the valleys, and the surprising fact that the coldest part of the day often arrives just after dawn. Many of the observations Sally Coulthard shares in The Secret World of Twilight felt wonderfully familiar, while others opened my eyes to the remarkable science behind this fleeting time of day.
What I enjoyed most was the way Coulthard weaves together science, natural history, folklore, literature, and poetry to reveal twilight as far more than a transition between day and night. I had no idea scientists now recognize twilight as its own distinct ecological world, with plants and animals responding in fascinating ways to the changing light. The woodblock-style illustrations throughout the book beautifully complement the text, adding a quiet elegance that perfectly matches its contemplative tone.
This is a book that encourages us to slow down and notice the world around us—something I think we've largely forgotten how to do. I'd recommend it to readers who enjoy nature writing, environmental science, astronomy, folklore, or reflective nonfiction that blends science with the humanities. It isn't a book to rush through; it's one to savor a chapter at a time, perhaps during twilight itself.
My thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus | Apollo for providing an advance reading copy.
What I enjoyed most was the way Coulthard weaves together science, natural history, folklore, literature, and poetry to reveal twilight as far more than a transition between day and night. I had no idea scientists now recognize twilight as its own distinct ecological world, with plants and animals responding in fascinating ways to the changing light. The woodblock-style illustrations throughout the book beautifully complement the text, adding a quiet elegance that perfectly matches its contemplative tone.
This is a book that encourages us to slow down and notice the world around us—something I think we've largely forgotten how to do. I'd recommend it to readers who enjoy nature writing, environmental science, astronomy, folklore, or reflective nonfiction that blends science with the humanities. It isn't a book to rush through; it's one to savor a chapter at a time, perhaps during twilight itself.
My thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus | Apollo for providing an advance reading copy.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Well , what can I say? The Secret World of Twilight is a real gem of a book. The quiet, hazy world she focuses on really does come to life before your very eyes.
It's one of those rare reads that's calming and sincere, yet full of the activity and hussle and bumble of those hushed, muted, soft hours that most of us rarely see.
There's animal escapades, capers and frolics, there's rich human folklore and intriguing myths, there's interesting science and enthralling culture, all mixed in with a nice dose or two of history and good old fashioned storytelling, the type of which we rarely see these days.
I absolutely adore getting up early while the world is quiet and going out on a drive with very few others on the road, then arriving at your destination when it's still early and dark. Or just going for a walk in the local woods or beaches. Same for night time drives which we often do when going on days out or on holiday to Cornwall or Scotland or other destinations, then stopping for a nap at the side of the road and just listening to the quiet of the night, seeing the stars that you rarely see when in lighted areas, maybe a bat or two passes by, or a fox emerges from the hedgerows.
So all in all, just a wonderful capturing of those small hours between light and dark.
A huge 5 stars from me.
It's one of those rare reads that's calming and sincere, yet full of the activity and hussle and bumble of those hushed, muted, soft hours that most of us rarely see.
There's animal escapades, capers and frolics, there's rich human folklore and intriguing myths, there's interesting science and enthralling culture, all mixed in with a nice dose or two of history and good old fashioned storytelling, the type of which we rarely see these days.
I absolutely adore getting up early while the world is quiet and going out on a drive with very few others on the road, then arriving at your destination when it's still early and dark. Or just going for a walk in the local woods or beaches. Same for night time drives which we often do when going on days out or on holiday to Cornwall or Scotland or other destinations, then stopping for a nap at the side of the road and just listening to the quiet of the night, seeing the stars that you rarely see when in lighted areas, maybe a bat or two passes by, or a fox emerges from the hedgerows.
So all in all, just a wonderful capturing of those small hours between light and dark.
A huge 5 stars from me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Easily the best non-fiction book I've read in the last six months. I would not have thought that the topic of twilight would be so engrossing. Every page was something new and unexpected. I requested the ARC because there was a barn owl on the cover, which is my son's favorite animal. I thought I'd learn some new barn owl facts to tell him and then skim the rest. I was wrong. I was completely unable to skim because each page was just too interesting and unexpected to speed up that way. Here's two of the most interesting facts from the book: 1) owls and ducks can perceive twilight even if their eyes are covered/damaged because their heads are translucent and there are photoreceptors directly on the surface of their brain. Experiments on human cadavers suggest the possibility that humans might be able to "see" with our ears because the ear canal is the only translucent place where light can enter the skull. If there are found to be photoreceptors there, then perhaps we too can see twilight without our eyes. 2) During the "golden age" of Islamic thought, a scholar was able to figure out the thickness of the atmospheric layer around the earth by measuring twilight.
I recommend this book highly. It's a lot more interesting than expected.
I recommend this book highly. It's a lot more interesting than expected.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I found this book fascinating, there is so much that I didn’t know about this subject and Sally Coultard has written it in such an interesting and informative way. A science based book but very relatable. I have always loved being outside at dawn and at dusk, they are such special times of day and living in the countryside I have become more attuned with the different wildlife that come into their own at varying times of the day. I learnt so much and not just more about what I had only scratched the surface of before but so many new things. I was absolutely fascinated with what I learnt about the twilight creatures of the sea.
The critical importance of this book strikes home, there is so much light pollution these days, even in the countryside and Sally is adept in her reflections on twilights past and the differences now. Highly readable with an easy flow to it, I am off to look at the other books that Sally has written.
The critical importance of this book strikes home, there is so much light pollution these days, even in the countryside and Sally is adept in her reflections on twilights past and the differences now. Highly readable with an easy flow to it, I am off to look at the other books that Sally has written.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I read this fascinating book on NetGalley and learned so much! Who knew there were different forms of twilight? Now I know the different forms it makes perfect sense! The author explores twilight in all its forms and in different settings including under the sea. There are references to scientific and not so scientific theories and research. The effects of twilight on the natural world and humans are discussed.
I like the way the author also looks at the importance of twilight in the ancient world and to ancient people as well as considering very up to date thinking. The whole book is very well-researched and referenced. Interspersed throughout are diaries from her own observations of twilight on the smallholding where she lives, I would have loved even more of these personal observations!
Overall, it was an interesting and absorbing read that I would recommend.
I like the way the author also looks at the importance of twilight in the ancient world and to ancient people as well as considering very up to date thinking. The whole book is very well-researched and referenced. Interspersed throughout are diaries from her own observations of twilight on the smallholding where she lives, I would have loved even more of these personal observations!
Overall, it was an interesting and absorbing read that I would recommend.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Dawn and Dusk - my favourite times of the day! So this book from Sally Coulthard has been a delight to read and she has a wonderful way of educating while entertaining! I've learnt so much from this book but it hasn't felt like learning!
She has a wonderful way with words, so she explores how the twilight times are seen now and have been through history, along with the impact on literature, scholars and also the impact on nature and wildlife, both on land and in the oceans!
She has a farm/smallholding, so these times are always so crucial to her and her style of writing makes the information she shares so easy to absorb as she explores the behaviour of animals, humans and plants! She also looks at the way modern life interacts now with dusk and dawn, and the impact of light pollution which really hits home. A beautifully illuminating read!
She has a wonderful way with words, so she explores how the twilight times are seen now and have been through history, along with the impact on literature, scholars and also the impact on nature and wildlife, both on land and in the oceans!
She has a farm/smallholding, so these times are always so crucial to her and her style of writing makes the information she shares so easy to absorb as she explores the behaviour of animals, humans and plants! She also looks at the way modern life interacts now with dusk and dawn, and the impact of light pollution which really hits home. A beautifully illuminating read!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This wasn't quite what I was expecting. The first few chapters dragged a bit for me as I was expecting some lyrical nature writing; what I got was much more science based. Not a bad thing, but it took me a while to read through it. There is some truly fascinating information in here; I loved finding out about how light levels affect life in the ocean depths. This is more to do with what twilight is, although there is plenty of information about how plants and animals, (including us), need and/or react to twilight. I knew that our artificially lit world was damaging, but not the true extent.
A good book, which I would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the subject.
*Many thanks to Netgally and the publishers for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*
A good book, which I would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the subject.
*Many thanks to Netgally and the publishers for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to both #NetGalley and Head of Zeus | Apollo for providing me an advance copy of Sally Coulthard's #nonfiction work, The Secret World of Twilight, in exchange for an honest review.
#TheSecretWorldofTwilight is a reflective work about the magical hours of twilight (i.e., dawn and dusk), paying homage to those times through a medley of musings, writings, facts, and synopses from earlier authors. Though I am not familiar with this particular author's nonfiction works, the piece was intriguing and is a good read for those wanting to learn more about the history of those hours, or simply to read something new and jog their creative juices.
#TheSecretWorldofTwilight is a reflective work about the magical hours of twilight (i.e., dawn and dusk), paying homage to those times through a medley of musings, writings, facts, and synopses from earlier authors. Though I am not familiar with this particular author's nonfiction works, the piece was intriguing and is a good read for those wanting to learn more about the history of those hours, or simply to read something new and jog their creative juices.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A quaint little book that provides a high-level overview of the history & natural science of twilight - covering topics related to biology, ecology, astronomy, world history, and human interest. Golden hour & the subsequent period of diffuse twilight have been the backdrop for many of my most cherished memories and it was fun to take a deeper dive into it's physical & scientific characteristics as well as the long human love affair with this specific time of day. My only complaint (mostly of interest to NetGalley) was that sections of the ebook I was provided were formatted as to be basically unreadable, but I'm sure this will be solved by the final printing.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review of ARC
I really loved this book, it hardly felt like it was nonfiction, because it was so easy to read and the writing was very engaging. I absolutely loved the different aspects of twilight, the beauty, folk lore, history, language surrounding it. It really opened up the way I think about the world around me and how as the world gets dark there is so much beauty you don’t even see if you don’t stop to look around every once and awhile. Over all such a great read! I highly recommend it.
I really loved this book, it hardly felt like it was nonfiction, because it was so easy to read and the writing was very engaging. I absolutely loved the different aspects of twilight, the beauty, folk lore, history, language surrounding it. It really opened up the way I think about the world around me and how as the world gets dark there is so much beauty you don’t even see if you don’t stop to look around every once and awhile. Over all such a great read! I highly recommend it.
March 3, 2026
🌸I recieved a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review🌸 I really, really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who has some interest in nature/ natural history/ twilight hours. There was lots of interesting facts in a good amount of detail - it never rambled on about a singular topic unnecessarily which I appreciated! I don’t really have any complaints!
Review of advance copy
I found the book interesting and informative.
One piece of feedback: attractive as the background pictures are on the Twilight Diary pages, they make reading difficult for those of us with sight issues. This is really something that the publisher should already know. It makes the book less accessible.
One piece of feedback: attractive as the background pictures are on the Twilight Diary pages, they make reading difficult for those of us with sight issues. This is really something that the publisher should already know. It makes the book less accessible.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Lovely gentle read. Felt a bit like ambling down a country lane flitting through different topics. Lot of natural history UK based plus musings into other areas. Enjoyable. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.
April 2, 2026
An entertaining and educational read about this most fascinating time of day. Really like the authors style of writing.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A nice book. A gentle read with lots of little facts about dawn and dusk and its meaning. I think it will be of interest to a lot of people. Thanks to NetGalley and Zeus for the ARC.
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August 5, 202678% at the end of July so counting it for the month
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