Helpful Score: 1
As a way of dealing with the grief of her father's death, Helen Macdonald seizes upon the idea of training a goshawk she names Mabel. T H White enters the story because his memoir titled The Goshawk is one of her inspirations. This book is part memoir, part biography, and part naturalist guide. Even in a context unfamiliar to me, Helen Macdonald's beautiful writing captures the emotions in a familiar and recognizable way. Therein lies the appeal of this book.
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2016/01/h-is-for-hawk.html
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2016/01/h-is-for-hawk.html
Helpful Score: 1
I had high expectations for this one, and it was amazing. The contrasts that Macdonald manages to hold in balance! Grief and savagery, science and literature, singlemindedness and insanity, bravery and panic, memory and immediacy, studied technique and desperation, commitment and unravelling. Honestly, this book was breathtaking. Highly recommended.
A bit tough to read. More of a prose of the womans feelings about her life and how it related to the taming of a Goshawk. Makes you wonder if keeping hawks it the right thing to do for these magnificent birds.
Not a book to me liking. It is a personal story of the authors search for meaning in her life played out thru the taming of her Goshawk.
A very intense book that you'll love if you've had any obsession since childhood - even if you have no interest in birds. I thought the way the author brought in TH White's life and psychological problems was absolutely brilliant. White was her mentor at a distance - someone who shared her obsession and taught her much about herself and the world. I plan to reread this book as soon as I get to the end of it - it's that wonderful.
The glowing reviews of this book led me to expect something special -- instead, I was disappointed. Fully half the book is devoted to a discussion of author T.H. White and held no interest for me. This was one of the rare books that I couldn't wait to finish.
