43 pages • 1 hour read
Helen MacdonaldH Is For Hawk
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2014A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In H Is for Hawk, Helen Macdonald chronicles her journey through grief and healing after her father's death, finding solace in training a goshawk named Mabel. The memoir weaves together her personal struggles and her experiences with falconry, drawing parallels with T.H. White’s attempts at training a hawk in the 1930s. The narrative explores themes of loss, nature, and the search for personal redemption. This book depicts outdated, harmful concepts related to a historical figure's attempt to "tame" his same-sex attraction.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Helen Macdonald's H Is For Hawk is widely praised for its lyrical prose and deep emotional resonance, blending memoir and nature writing. Critics commend its raw honesty and vivid descriptions. Some note it can be overly introspective and slow-paced. While the narrative's complexity may challenge some readers, it remains a powerful exploration of grief and healing.
Who Should Read H Is For Hawk?
Readers who appreciate deeply emotional memoirs, nature writing, and introspection will enjoy H Is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald. Fans of Wild by Cheryl Strayed and When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi will find similarities in Macdonald’s poignant exploration of grief and healing through training a goshawk.