H Is for HawkH Is for Hawk
Score Modern
What it's about
When Helen Macdonald's father, a photographer, died suddenly, she was overwhelmed by grief. She had trained hawks since childhood, and she decided to raise a goshawk, one of the most difficult and wild of all birds of prey, named Mabel. As she trains Mabel, she also reads the story of T. H. White, the author of The Once and Future King, who tried and failed to train a goshawk.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Samuel Johnson Prize (now the Baillie Gifford Prize) and the Costa Book of the Year, and the New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It's a beautiful book about grief and nature.
You'll love it if you liked
The Snow Leopard
Raising Hare: A Memoir
The Year of Magical ThinkingGood to know
Mabel kills prey, described vividly. Depression is a theme.
By the numbers
- Readers2 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics85 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller54 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz3 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #207 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #854 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1582 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, True story
If you like this, read next
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
When Breath Becomes Air
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Braiding Sweetgrass
The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression
How to Be an AntiracistExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is H Is for Hawk worth reading?
Yes. It won the Samuel Johnson Prize (now the Baillie Gifford Prize) and the Costa Book of the Year, and the New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #1,582 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is H Is for Hawk about?
When Helen Macdonald's father, a photographer, died suddenly, she was overwhelmed by grief. She had trained hawks since childhood, and she decided to raise a goshawk, one of the most difficult and wild of all birds of prey, named Mabel. As she trains Mabel, she also reads the story of T. H. White, the author of The Once and Future King, who tried and failed to train a goshawk.
How long does it take to read H Is for Hawk?
About 8 hours (324 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has H Is for Hawk won?
Baillie Gifford Prize winner (2014).
What should I read after H Is for Hawk?
If you liked it, try The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen, Raising Hare: A Memoir by Chloe Dalton or The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.