Cooper’s Book Report

This month’s book is H is for Hawk, by Helen Macdonald. 1This award winning book is the story of a woman coming to terms with grief after her father suddenly dies. When Helen McDonald learns of her father’s passing, she purchases a goshawk. As time goes on she retreats further from the human world by immersing herself in the training of her hawk, Mabel.

The author alternates the telling of her missteps and successes with Mabel with an account of author T.H. White’s experiences training his hawk, Gos. Though Mcdonald descends into isolation and heavy depression, her time with Mabel eventually helps her to come to terms with her sorrow.

Cooper enjoyed this novel. She found the way T.H. White treated his hawk to be disturbing, though. She liked that falconry has its own terminology (bloom, rouse, mute [poop!]). She  learned quite a bit about falconry and the goshawk – a bird almost as fierce as a budgie. Her favorite parts of the book, though, were the descriptions of Mabel flying free.

 

Cooper’s Cuties

Meet Piccolo!12285759_1652124538390325_2037561256_nPiccolo lives in New Jersey with Grace.12278143_1652124978390281_542745717_nPiccolo just turned one year old on October 6th, 2015. He’s an English budgerigar. His favorite pastime is chatting and eating millet (not necessarily in that order!).12272859_1652125078390271_1227758578_nHe shares his cage with another male budgie named Kalani who just joined the flock a couple of months ago. His other flock mates include two cockatiels and a Bebe parrot. Piccolo also resides with two dogs, two cats and a guinea pig, as well as two teenagers, a tween and two adults (he’s very bonded to the adult female). 12115736_1643286459274133_5249032625706711796_nYou can find Piccolo the budgie (and his pals!) on his facebook page. Stop by and say, “Hello!”