Helen MacDonald, “H is For Hawk“

When Macdonald’s father suddenly died, she felt as if she, too, had been struck down. Near despair, she turned to nature—not for comfort, but for its wild and uncompromising spirit, numbing her grief by learning the ancient skills of falconry. Now available in paperback, H is for Hawk—the Costa Book of the Year and winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize—chronicles how Macdonald found companionship first with T.H. White’s The Goshawk, then with her own hawk, Mabel, learning the raptor’s ways as she emerged from a debilitating grief. Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics & Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.’s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics & Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online. Visit them on the web at