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Title details for George by Frieda Hughes - Wait list

George

A Magpie Memoir

by Frieda Hughes
Frieda Hughes
Audiobook
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Wait time: About 2 weeks
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0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
"Poignant and funny...a passionate book about unconditional love and commitment." —The Washington Post * "Captivating." —Associated Press * "Rich with imagery...It's impossible not to be smitten." —Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

From poet and painter Frieda Hughes, an intimate, charming, and humorous memoir recounting her experience rescuing and raising an abandoned baby magpie in the Welsh countryside.
When Frieda Hughes moved to a ramshackle estate in the wilds of Wales, she was expecting to take on a few projects: 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.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    June 6, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781797159737
      • File size: 258393 KB
      • Duration: 08:58:19

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Frieda Hughes applies her poetic sensibilities to her memoir about taking care of a baby magpie that fell out of its nest in a storm. She names him George and recounts, through her diary entries at the time, how she raised him while negotiating rough marital seas and the final tasks of fixing up her house and garden in Wales. A poet and artist, Hughes is the daughter of renowned poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. Her appealing British accent combined with her sensitivity to pacing and rhythm reflects a lifetime of reading poetry. George the magpie's interactions with the family dogs are hilarious, but his tendency to hide food and other less desirable items around the house is a bit disquieting. A.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      Artist, poet, and children's author Hughes, the daughter of poets Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath, delightfully narrates her debut memoir about her rescued magpie, George. Based on her extensive diary entries, her memoir begins in the spring of 2007 when a single magpie chick survived after his parents abandoned their storm-ravaged nesting site. Thriving on hand-fed worms and dog food, George blossomed into an intelligent and mischievous bird who spent his youth riding on Hughes's shoulder as she painted and revitalized her Wales fixer-upper and its garden. George loved all things red, especially rubber bands, which he stashed throughout the house, and got along famously with Hughes's three canines. However, not all humans were fond of George's antics, as he liked to swipe food from plates and springboard off heads for entertainment. George proved to be the catalyst for Hughes's rescue work, which later included a crow and an owl. Interspersed within the narrative, Hughes sensitively discusses her management of chronic fatigue syndrome, back pain, and her deteriorating marriage. VERDICT Listeners interested in birds and animal rescue will enjoy this winsome peek into a magpie's personality and habits.--Kym Goering

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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