Published by Grove Press, 2014. Hardcover, 300 pgs
Goodreads Description
An extraordinary, poetic look at the natural world- and how we often use it as a mirror for ourselves. In this case, Macdonald trains a temperamental Goshawk (Mabel) after her father's sudden death. Notoriously difficult, they are the most vicious hawk predators.
I haven't heard a single negative thing about this memoir. What luck since I wanted it for the cover art regardless! I read this right before Macdonald came to speak locally at a convention center in Huntington, West Virginia. There is that extra joy in reading when you know the author is touring, and it's a rare occurrence for this area. I even took my little girl, Natalie.
Entertainment Weekly's back cover blurb proclaims "
One of the loveliest things you'll read this year....You'll never see a bird overhead the same way again." I heartily agree. Nature writing, while often containing violent facts of life, has a soothing effect on me. Similar to the positive vibes I receive when petting my own animals, there is a comfort that this world contains animals to make life BETTER. Even though we are vastly different, which, as Macdonald discovers, is both comforting and unsettling....but always beautiful.
The reverence for nature is wonderful: "
Goshawks resemble sparrowhawks the way leopards resemble housecats. Bigger, yes. But bulkier, bloodier, deadlier, scarier, and much, much harder to see. Birds of deep woodland, not gardens, they're the birdwatchers' dark grail. You might spend a week in a forest full of gosses and never see one, just traces of their presence...Looking for Goshawks is like looking for grace: it comes, but not often, and you don't get to say when or how. But you have a slightly better chance on still, clear mornings in early spring, because that's when goshawks eschew their world under the trees to court each other open sky." Besides the beautiful commentary on Goshawks, her description of the habitats are just as evocative..."
The air reeked of pine resin and the pitchy vinegar of wood ants."
I must confess that I grew slightly bored of her psychoanalysis of T.H White, whose book
The Goshawk fascinates and influences her interactions with Mabel. However, our search for meaning and instruction after loss takes many forms. Therefore, while I didn't connect to White's sections as a reader, I understood why Macdonald found this crucial in her understanding of Goshawks. The T.H sections occasionally felt tedious, so it was through sheer talent that this author was able to pull off such an extensive back study. From blurbs, I assumed T.H White was mentioned a few times, but mostly in passing.
I would recommend this to anyone who has experienced a loss, or who simply loves nature or animals in any way. There is so much goodness to be had here. I treasure this book.
