A review by philliryan8
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

5.0

The world feels a lot bigger after this one. Macdonald’s writing is so unique and transfixing that I was able to push through the book’s flaws without ever losing my love for it. There are several nits to pick, but the only one that I find worth mentioning is the fact that Macdonald is often thorough and explanatory to the extent that there aren’t many mysteries left to ponder within the world of the book. But the elements to love are much more plentiful. The book eschews traditional structure entirely, such that there’s no distinct climatic point, functioning almost as a series of episodes. Macdonald also avoids any genre trapping, making the book (and the hawk) about everything it can be, never to her detriment. The writing is authoritative yet poetic, meditative yet urgent. While I mention that there aren’t many mysteries to ponder in the world of the book, what I am left pondering is the implication on my own life that Macdonald leaves me with. Fascinating and well worth the read.