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George: A Magpie Memoir

George: A Magpie Memoir

by Frieda Hughes

Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster ·2023 ·272 pages
Near the Top
Near the Top
I Index
50/99
Near the Top

73/99

Critics' Rating Index

Maybe Someday

26/99

Readers' Rating Index

n/a

Scholars' Citation Index

84/99

Volume of Reviews

71/99

Volume of Reader Ratings

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About This Book

" He was a hectic, unprincipled bird, but it was impossible not to love him." From poet and painter Frieda Hughes, a memoir of love, obsession , and feathers. When Frieda Hughes moved to the depths of the Welsh countryside, she was expecting to take on a few planting a garden, painting, writing her poetry column for The Times (London), and possibly even breathing new life into her ailing marriage. But instead, she found herself rescuing a baby magpie, the sole survivor of a nest destroyed in a storm—and embarking on an obsession that would change the course of her life. As the magpie, George, grows from a shrieking scrap of feathers and bones into an intelligent, unruly companion, Frieda finds herself captivated—and apprehensive of what will happen when the time comes to finally set him free. With irresistible humor and heart, Frieda invites us along on her unlikely journey toward joy and connection in the wake of sadness and loss; a journey that began with saving a tiny wild creature and ended with her being saved in return.


Reviews

"I suspect her audience will clamor for another soon."

Hamilton Cain· The Wall Street Journal Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"George is a wild animal so inevitably, he must depart."

Ann Levin· Associated Press Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"George is the weird but entertaining story of a woman and a bird."

Laurie Hertzel· The Minneapolis Star Tribune Read review ↗ Near the Top

"George's inevitable departure, always on the horizon, is heart-wrenching when it happens."

Martina Evans· The Irish Times Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Part of the charm of this book is that the author doesn't dwell on her pain or her past or the reasons why."

Nora Krug· The Washington Post Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Illustrated throughout with pen-and-ink drawings, this charming memoir about the author's accidental adventures in avian rescue offers tantalizing insights into her struggle to fly free of the difficult emotional legacy bequeathed by her literary-icon parents, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Hughes is capable of some wonderful reminiscences...But to get to such moments the reader must slog through pages of aimless asides ..."

Tom Cook· Times Literary Supplement Read review ↗ Bottom of the Pile

"Caring for George eventually sent the author in new directions, culminating with her adoption of two owls."

Nancy Bent· Booklist Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

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