A Rustle In The Grass

by Robin Hawdon

Above ground the countryside stretches quietly, majestically beneath the changing skies. Peaceful and untroubled, far from the wars and woes of man, nature moves through her timeless cycles.

But look closer. For in the secret world beneath the grasses lies an empire in turmoil. A revered leader had died and, as the enemy prepares its armies for war, rebellion is whispered through the undergrowth. There in the kingdom of the ants the old order crumbles and the new prepares for its explosive birth. No single insect, from magnificent war leader to defiant rebel, from wise elder statesman to upstart contender, from beloved Queen to emerging young champion, is impervious to the revolutionary changes within the hierarchy, or the gathering threat from a terrible foe.

Man may be ignorant of the cataclysmic battles unfolding beneath his vision, but he should take note. His struggles are not so very different....

324 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2014

About the author

Robin Hawdon’s varied career has spanned numerous aspects of the arts. Actor, playwright, novelist and theatre director. Now one of Britain’s most prolific novelists and playwrights, with productions in at least forty countries and twenty languages. (see www.robinhawdon.com).

THE LAND, THE LAND, is his newest and perhaps most topical book - a psychological thriller involving a family's battle to preserve one of Britain's most beautiful landscapes.

NUMBER TEN is quite different. A fast action political thriller in the Lee Child genre, soon hopefully to be seen on Netflix.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST is Robin’s third novel and encompasses three of his deepest concerns – the extraordinary impact of science on mankind’s progress, the distorting effect of so much religious and superstitious prejudice on that progress, and the telling of real human stories (in this case three stories, all fundamentally inter-connected).
A RUSTLE IN THE GRASS, his first novel, has now been republished after it was discovered that, with the advent of the digital age, it has attracted an extraordinary list of 5 star reviews on Amazon.
Robin has been married for over forty years, has two daughters and four grand children, and lives between Bath, the South of France and Australia.

Reviews

[Leila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I could start to read it all over again. It is all about a community of ants and I found it fascinating!

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book so simple and easy to follow have re read it several times over the years. Dreamer and Sting and Joker 3 ants who are sent out on a dangerous expedition to scout out red slaver ants moving into their world. Filled with vicious fights with spiders and battle with the fearsome slaver ants. Loved this book great book. It has a special place on my book shelf.

[Rachel Stansel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Rustle in the Grass is being republished thirty years after it was originally released. I had never heard of the book, but was immediately drawn into the story. We focus on one ant colony and Dreamer, one pretty regular ant who lived there. A sudden external threat of red ants and internal dissatisfaction of the workers are central to the story. We follow the exception bravery of Dreamer as he tries to determine what is worth dying for. It's a beautiful story.

Full disclosure - I received a copy of the story from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Micro Universe of Ants

An epic anthropomorphic tale of peaceful brown ants against warlike red ants, how their communities clash, and what comes after.

[Jason Micallef · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, though I fell asleep a lot of the time when reading before bed

[nicolas kohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as entertaining as when I was a kid

Something triggered me looking this book up and I am glad I did. It reads much faster now which is going to make for a great bedtime story for the kids