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lita_ak 's review for:
H is for Hawk
by Helen Macdonald
I had been intrigued by this book since I first saw it in a bookstore. Somehow I knew that the day would come that I'll buy and read it. And so I did. It's not a book you can read in one sitting. A chapter or two a day to start and a bit more once you get into the mindset of Helen and her goshawk. The book is essentially about grief and how you get through a loss of a loved one. A very personal topic for the author and also for me at this time in my life. We all deal with loss differently, and she chose to train a goshawk, probably the most challenging bird a falconer can pick. All through this process, she was also going through the motions of saying goodbye to her father and making peace with his sudden death.
It's a beautifully written and educational book. I did find out so many new things about hawks and falconers, and the whole training process of a wild bird. However, the author was drawing parallels with another falconer and writer - Terence Hanbury White throughout the book. And it kinda didn't work for me. They were both struggling with things in their lives, but they were so different that it didn't fit together organically. Therefore, I would probably give this book something like 3.5 stars.
It's a beautifully written and educational book. I did find out so many new things about hawks and falconers, and the whole training process of a wild bird. However, the author was drawing parallels with another falconer and writer - Terence Hanbury White throughout the book. And it kinda didn't work for me. They were both struggling with things in their lives, but they were so different that it didn't fit together organically. Therefore, I would probably give this book something like 3.5 stars.