H is for Hawk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
H is for Hawk

Author	Helen Macdonald
Genre	Memoir
Publisher	Jonathan Cape
Publication date	2014
Pages	300 pp.
Awards	Samuel Johnson Prize, Costa Book of the Year
ISBN	0-224-09700-8
OCLC	898117636

H is for Hawk is a special book written by Helen Macdonald. It's a true story, also called a memoir, about her journey after her father passed away. In this book, she shares how training a wild hawk helped her through a very tough time. The book won important awards like the Samuel Johnson Prize and Costa Book of the Year.

The Story of H is for Hawk

H is for Hawk tells Helen Macdonald's personal story. It focuses on the year she spent training a wild bird called a northern goshawk. This happened after her father, Alisdair Macdonald, suddenly passed away in 2007. Her father was a respected photojournalist, someone who takes pictures for news stories.

Helen had been a falconer for many years. This means she had experience training hawks. To help her deal with her sadness, she decided to buy a young goshawk. The book describes her challenging and emotional journey as she learned to train this powerful bird. It shows how connecting with nature and the hawk helped her cope with her grief.

H is for Hawk on TV

The story of H is for Hawk also appeared on television! In 2017, Helen Macdonald was featured in a BBC show. It was part of the Natural World series. This episode was called "H is for Hawk: A New Chapter". It showed Helen training another young goshawk chick. It was a chance for viewers to see her amazing connection with these birds.

Awards and Recognition

H is for Hawk received many important awards and honors. These awards recognize books that are well-written and impactful.

• 2014 Samuel Johnson Prize, winner
• 2014 Costa Book of the Year, winner
• 2014 Duff Cooper Prize, shortlisted
• 2015 Thwaites Wainwright Prize, longlisted
• 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, shortlisted
• 2016 Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger, winner