BE MORE BIRD

Fans of H is for Hawk will enjoy this meditation through falconry.

What might we learn from a hawk? For British author Meyrick, the art of falconry is rich in deep truths. Recovering from cancer during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, she adopted a hawk she refers to as, appropriately, Bird (though the hawk’s full name is Sophia Houdini White Wing). Under the tutelage of an experienced falconer, she learned to train Bird to hunt. In a complex process that included trying to align the bird’s weight with the weather, she and Bird became comfortable bringing down small animals and, most importantly, learned to read each other and work in tandem. Over the course of tuning in to the immediacy of flying with the hawk, Meyrick imagines what it might mean to “be more Bird.” The book unfolds with each chapter addressing a life lesson that take this idea to heart. “Patience is golden when it holds such resolution within it,” she writes, and “live each moment as most yourself.” Each comes in the midst of an experience with Bird, and the deft, light prose moves the reader at a gentle pace across the countryside, with the hawk overhead. Meyrick reflects on parenting, change, and ultimately letting go, with Bird as a confident guide. The work of falconry itself is fascinating, with its specific lexicon and archaic toolkit. Where the narrative falters somewhat is in leaving falconry for philosophy. Not a memoir, but also not a close examination of falconry, the book feels at times a bit lacking for sticking material. It’s breezy, like a walk in the outdoors. Bird herself gets plenty of (imagined) dialogue. Yet, the call to remain more in the moment, to trust your instincts, and to accept the unknown is one we could all heed.

A welcome perspective on seeing the world from a hawk-eyed view.