"H is for Hawk" by Helen Macdonald was published to much acclaim in 2014. Though there are many side-tracks, it is essentially the true story of how the author acquired and trained a young goshawk, learning to live with it, feed it and gain its trust. This is a very emotional journey for each of them. Helen doubts herself and the tactics she employs - often based upon her extensive research into the history of falconry but she gets there in the end. She calls her hawk Mabel.
Evolution over millennia has made Mabel an expert predator. Everything about her - from her mighty talons to the various kinds of feathers on her back to her eyesight and her curved beak - they are all about killing her prey and surviving. Such a bird cannot be tamed but a patient falconer might succeed in building a workable partnership.
In the spaces between the lines, the book is haunted by the memory of Helen Macdonald's late father Alisdair. He meant a great deal to her and she loved him entirely. That sense of loss is woven into her relationship with Mabel.
Okay - I could write a whole lot more about the book but suffice it to say that I finished it down by the pool this afternoon. It was a most enjoyable read. In my memory it will always be associated with Sicily.
Tomorrow - Mount Etna and Taormina if we can manage to get up in time.
from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/3UMN4Ae