Shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize * #1 bestseller in the UK When Helen Macdonald’s father died suddenly on a London street, she was devastated. An experienced falconer—Helen had been captivated by hawks since childhood—she’d never before been tempted to train one of the most vicious predators, the goshawk. But in her grief, she saw that the goshawk’s fierce and feral anger mirrored her … mirrored her own. Resolving to purchase and raise the deadly creature as a means to cope with her loss, she adopted Mabel, and turned to the guidance of The Sword and the Stone author T.H. White’s chronicle The Goshawk to begin her journey into Mabel’s world. Projecting herself “in the hawk’s wild mind to tame her” tested the limits of Macdonald’s humanity. By turns heartbreaking and hilarious, this book is an unflinching account of bereavement; a unique look at the magnetism of an extraordinary beast; and the story of an eccentric falconer and legendary writer. Weaving together obsession, madness, memory, myth, and history, H is for Hawk is a distinctive, surprising blend of nature writing and memoir from a very gifted writer.
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Understanding the art of falconers, very interesting in a story form
I’m not sure how Macdonald first thought to write a memoir about goshawks and grief but the result is fascinating, lovely, and insightful. Her connections took my breath away at times. I also enjoyed how she incorporated the work and life of TH White, particularly his book on goshawks, into her account.
A little difficult to read. Had trouble staying focused.
very interesting read
Make no mistake about it.
In “H is for Hawk” Helen Macdonald is one hot mess. With the recent death of her father, she’s spinning in a world she no longer feels connected to. That is, until she connects with Mabel, the eponymous Hawk in the book’s title.
This memoir has been on my ‘to read’ list for the past couple of years and what a treat it …
Great writing insufferable author/narrator/character
Loved it!
This was a book group selection. Everyone of us a is birder. None of us cared for this book. It was tedious and we questioned its supposed method to train this hawk. I even made the mistake of buying the book who’s methods the author followed to train her hawk. If you want to read a tale about a woman walking around most of the day with a hawk …
Beautiful literary journey. Probably not for everyone but I enjoyed the dense paragraphs which took me along a vicarious passage of Helen’s life and her relationship with her hawk.
The arc of the story – from tragedy to healing – is told with prose that is sometimes poetic. MacDonald unflinchingly shines a light into her own psyche. Finding parallel processes in TH White’s struggles to become a falconer only add to the richness.
One of the most Amazing books I have read this year. And My God, what an exquisite writer. Such Vivid detail pulls you into the narrator’s heart and soul, and the tumultuous journey of falconry and Hawk training. The bond is difficult to create without harming the goshawk, one of the wildest raptors. The deeply grieving and depressed trainer, …
I just couldn’t get into this book, no matter how hard I tried. It was really dull and went into way too much detail about ornithology.