Book Shorts. Reviews in a Nutshell.
FEATURED REVIEW
H is for Hawk
Helen McDonald
What a glorious book, what a splendid writer, what delicious nature writing!
When McDonald’s much-loved father dies, she is devastated. She finds herself needing a place where she can lose her anger, her fear, and most of all -herself. And so she decides to train a goshawk, the ultimate challenge in the sport of hawking.
Goshawks are difficult to train, sometimes impossible, they are wayward, born hunters and killers. Into this mix she begins to read the memoirs of the writer T.H. White (The Sword in the Stone, The Once and Future King), and how he attempts to train his hawk. McDonald’s journey back to herself, White’s inclinations and struggles, show her emotional bonding (and his failure) to her hawk and herself. I found it hard to put down the book, and I think you will too.
Review by Lynda Bernard
September 1, 2024
So many books, so little time. Right, right - we’ve all heard it many times. Hummingbird's new BOOK SHORTS will present book reviews you can read in a minute and capture the essence of the story, thumbnail reviews that hopefully will entice you into your next read. I read constantly. My tastes vary, so I’ll review books that I love, not necessarily current books. Other HB contributors will review books that follow their interests, both newly published and past. All in all, we’ll review books we think are captivating, compelling, unputdownable. If you’re looking for a good book to take to the beach, make that long commute shorter, or curl up with, hopefully our reviews will help you find it. Lynda Bernard
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