H is for Hawk

Obsession, madness, memory, myth, and history combine to achieve a distinctive blend of nature writing and memoir from an outstanding literary innovator.When Helen Macdonalds father died suddenly on a London street, she was devastated. An experienced falconer—Helen had been captivated by hawks since childhood—shed never before been tempted to train one of the most vicious predators, the goshawk. But in her grief, she saw that the goshawks fierce and feral temperament 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 Once and Future King author T.H. Whites chronicle The Goshawk to begin her challenging endeavor. Projecting herself in the hawks wild mind to tame her tested the limits of Macdonalds humanity and changed her life. Heart-wrenching and humorous, this book is an unflinching account of bereavement and a unique look at the magnetism of an extraordinary beast, with a parallel examination of a legendary writers eccentric falconry. Obsession, madness, memory, myth, and history combine to achieve a distinctive blend of nature writing and memoir from an outstanding literary innovator.