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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Lovely writing, lovely descriptive passages of the countryside, but I just never connected with what was going on with Macdonald and her hawk. I think I should have, perhaps I'm cold-hearted, though I did connect with White, and what went on with him and Gos, I found those sections very moving.
And although Macdonald writes about the hunting and death as a sport, I struggled to forget that as I was reading. Her bird had been bred for people to enjoy flying and catching prey - a blood sport. I kept asking myself what I would feel if this was a book about Macdonald and a hound that she took out fox hunting. (I know it's not quite like that - they are in packs; there's not a connection between one person and a dog, but the principle is the same.)
And although Macdonald writes about the hunting and death as a sport, I struggled to forget that as I was reading. Her bird had been bred for people to enjoy flying and catching prey - a blood sport. I kept asking myself what I would feel if this was a book about Macdonald and a hound that she took out fox hunting. (I know it's not quite like that - they are in packs; there's not a connection between one person and a dog, but the principle is the same.)
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Not typically what I choose to read but I still enjoyed it.
I wish I could give this 3.5 stars. The first 60 pages were difficult for me to get through. I just couldn't get into the story and put the book down for nearly a year. When I returned to it determined to finish, I found that the story began to pick up by page 100 (only a 279 page book). The story overall is slow moving, but the prose is fantastic.
There were a few things that confused me, such as the timing of events and what was based in reality (i.e. White) and what was fiction for the story.
Ultimately though, I was sucked into the story and am glad that I finished the book.
There were a few things that confused me, such as the timing of events and what was based in reality (i.e. White) and what was fiction for the story.
Ultimately though, I was sucked into the story and am glad that I finished the book.
An intelligent, poetically written story of a woman learning to live with the loss of her father, and her new found love, Mabel, her goshawk.
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
I'm having a difficult time with the book club titles this year. I'd tried to read this one before and didn't make it far but had to try again because my book club selected it. The writing is beautiful but it was so overly dramatic and I realized I just have no respect for anyone who cages and controls a bird.
I really didn't like this book, which shows considering it took me nearly a month of reading to finish it. I found most of it unnecessary and especially the parts about Whatshisface White. I don't need to know that. If I did I would read his book. I wanted to know about her experience of grief and loss and instead it felt like she had rewritten Whites book with a few details about her life.
I'd avoid it if I were you.
I'd avoid it if I were you.