The Comfort of Crows A Backyard Year , Margaret Renkl’s latest work, The Comfort of Crows, has truly left an indelible mark on my heart and mind. As a lifelong admirer of the natural world, I found myself captivated by her luminous prose that paints a vivid picture of the beauty and resilience found in the smallest of creatures in her backyard. The book follows Renkl’s yearly journey through the seasons, using each as a stepping stone to delve deeper into the interconnectedness of all living beings. From the first crows spotted on New Year’s Day to the last cricket’s song, Renkl offers a profound exploration of joy and grief that resonated with me on a deeply personal level. The book serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing pleasures the natural world has to offer, even as we grapple with the challenges posed by a shifting climate. Despite the looming threat of disappearing songbirds and winters that end too soon, Renkl’s unwavering love for her backyard sanctuary shines through every essay. Her ability to find beauty in the most ordinary moments is truly inspiring. The book also serves as a poignant reflection on the changing rhythms of human life, as we navigate the complexities and joys of raising our families amidst such destabilizing changes. Renkl’s insights into her own life are thought-provoking and deeply moving, leaving me with a renewed sense of hope and gratitude for my own experiences. The Comfort of Crows is more than just a book about nature; it is an intimate exploration of the human spirit and our place in this world. I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone seeking solace, inspiration, or simply a deeper connection with the natural world around them.
From
New York Times
opinion writer and bestselling author Margaret Renkl comes a howling love letter to the world (Ann Patchett): a luminous book tracing the passing of seasons, personal and natural.
In
The Comfort of Crows
, Margaret Renkl presents a devotional of sorts: fifty-two essays that follow the creatures and plants in her backyard over the course of a year. As we move through the seasonsfrom a crow spied on New Years Day, its resourcefulness and sense of community setting a theme for the yearwhat develops is a portrait of joy and grief. Joy at the ongoing pleasures of the natural world: Until the very last cricket falls silent, the beauty-besotted will always find a reason to love the world. And grief at a shifting climate, at winters that end too soon, at songbirds growing fewer and fewer.
Along the way, we also glimpse the changing rhythms of a human life. Grown children, unexpectedly home during the pandemic, prepare to depart once more. Birdsong and night-blooming flowers evoke generations past. The city and the country where Renkl raised her family to transform a little more with every passing day. How can one person make a difference amid such destabilizing changes?
The Comfort of Crows
is a lovely and deeply moving audiobook from a beloved writer.
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