Overview: In 2018, Katie and her boyfriend, Luke, moved to Asturias, Northern Spain, in search of a home. As conservation storytellers, they were drawn to the story of the Iberian wolf - a much-maligned creature facing relentless persecution right on their doorstep. But as they delved deeper, they discovered that the story was far more complex than they had imagined.

Verdict: While searching, they found a dilapidated old dairy farm, which they purchased with a vision to rewild its surrounding land. They named their new home Wild Finca and soon realized that promoting coexistence with wolves - and all wildlife - wasn’t about exposing the darker aspects of the relationship but about proving that living alongside wildlife was truly possible by doing it themselves.

Katie and her boyfriend, Luke had made the decision to relocate to Spain after successful five months spent in Andalucia, doing a project on what was then the rarest cat species in the world, the Iberian lynx.

However, their search for a property to rent, and a place that they could truly connect with in the South, proved elusive. So Katie gave in to Luke and his constant badgering and visited Northern Spain with him, and in particular, Asturias.

For Katie, moving to a place that was as wet as the UK was ridiculous, yet Luke managed to persuade her that the wildlife would be well worth it. Iberian Wolf, Cantabrian Brown Bear, Bearded Vulture, Golden Eagle, and all manner of other exotic wildlife called the province home.

Oh, plus the rain was what made the area one of the Iberian Peninsula’s green jewels, and so Katie agreed on a week’s recce in November of 2017.

And so the exploring began and, as the readers, you suddenly find yourself walking alongside Katie and Luke as they make their way through the trials and tribulations of the beautiful Spanish area, a stunning scenic, and gloriously spacious area found amongst the mountains of Asturias.

Thus, No Paradise with Wolves: A Journey of Rewilding and Resilience by author Katie Stacey is a wholly inspiring story of developing love, trust and a growth of knowledge for their surroundings that you cannot help but root for them with every turn of the page. The couple’s deep love and genuine affection for the wild that they themselves chose to live within, was a vision of a journey that perhaps even they didn’t think they could pass muster on. And yet they did. And in some style ... and even with a little well-earned swagger at times.

About the Author - Katie Stacey is the author of No Paradise with Wolves - a deeply personal and inspiring account of how she and her family rewilded a neglected dairy farm in the mountains of northern Spain. Blending memoir, ecology, and motherhood, her book explores what happens when we allow both land and family life to return to their natural rhythms - messy, alive, and full of wonder.

Drawing on the lessons of that journey, Katie went on to found The Wild Shift™, a nature-led parenting mentorship built around her signature ROOTS Framework™ - a five-step process helping families cut screen dependence and reconnect through nature. Combining neuroscience with nature-based practice, she now guides parents to bring the principles of rewilding home - cultivating calmer minds, deeper connection, and a wilder way of living together.

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