A fascinating little book. It captures perfectly the author’s discovery of nature and the joy of something as simple and effortless as a glimpse of a wing, or an excerpt of birdsong.
Whilst discovering a love of birds, the author discovered a great deal about herself. An amalgam of birds, philosophy, sociology and family.
A lovely read.

as an ornithologist, i was lured into reading this by the title and the topic, but came away inspired, with a richer, more profound view of the intersection between the creative life and life in general.

I am a book lover and I’m growing to love art through my reading adventures – my beloved partner however is a bird-lover. So when I saw this, I thought maybe it was a book that could help me understand his passion a bit better.

This is the memoir of a writer struggling to find inspiration, her father is terminally ill and this sparks a desire in her for somethiing new in her life. A way to find space to process her turmoil. She sees some photographs from a local birder and something in them catches her imagination. She gets in touch with him and asks him to teach her where to find birds and how to identify them. He starts by taking her to rather urban, unnattractive areas that nevertheless are home for quite a variety of species. Then, as he sees her interest is growing he starts to take her to more rural places and introduce her to less common birds.

This is an interesting meditation on why we humans need passions and creativity. What we gain from them on a personal level and how they help us to contribute to the world in a positive manner. There is little in the way of conundrums or thrills in this book – seeing a rare bird isn’t ever going to save her father’s life or make her next book a best seller or even win her the lottery! It’s what I call a quiet read. But sometimes these quiet reads can have a significant impact. Her search for inspiration, beauty, and solace leads us to a deeper understanding of the nuance of life.

I haven’t been birdwatching with my partner since reading this, I’m not sure that it will ever become my hobby if I’m honest. But I do feel I understand it and respect it more.

4 Bites

NB I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in return for an honest review. The BookEaters always write honest reviews

This is probably going to be a pretty short review, because it's hard to encapsulate the spare beauty of Kyo Maclear's Birds Art Life Death (review copy from Harper 4th Estate).  But the striking insightfulness of this memoir is utterly joyous. 

Birds Art Life Death is a memoir about a year spent birdwatching, as Maclear learns about birds and birding from a musician.  It follows the rhythm of the year, from chicks in spring to seasonal migrations.  But Maclear's genius is the way she draws out those moments of connection and deep insight from the smallest of incidents.  This is a book packed full of those moments when one will want to pause and reflect on a particular insight.  My Kindle copy is stuffed full of sentences I've highlighted for their power and insight.  To an extent, birding feels almost irrelevant.  One cannot but be left with the sense that Maclear would draw deep insight from almost any subject. 

Let me be clear.  This is not a book full of trite Hallmark Card-type aphorisms, or the kinds of phrases to be put across a photograph of a beach at sunset and shared onFacebook.  There is a deep truthiness to Maclear's work and Birds Art Life Death is all the more powerful for it. 

Goodreads rating: 5*

Birds Art Life Death
I did not know what to expect of such an intriguing title. I think I like the subtitle: A field guide to the small and significant. Birds Art Life Death is a poetic ramble through Kyo Maclear’s year of following a bird metaphor and bird watcher musician. (They dropped Death from the title when it was published, which is good, because it was so much more about Being in life.)
The book is organized through the seasons of the year and the birds Maclear discovers. This book is not for those in a hurry. It is for meandering and reminiscing, musing and discovering together with the author. “There are moments when what we need, what will benefit us most, is the power to style our own stories.” You can put it down and come back to it.
Some thoughts just felt right and truthful. “I learned then or later that although we may wish for limitlessness, we may opt to cling to limits, choosing known unfreedom over the waterfall of unknown possibility.” Poetry – in motion. “Children play ferociously.” Kyo (normally I’d use an author’s last name in a review, but the intimacy of the writing demands more intimacy) writes of finding smallness in a big world. “Good girls are taught to make ourselves small until there is very little of ourselves left in the world, even as our hunger expands.”
On waiting: “It is sometimes painful to wait. But it is also painful to always be in a hurry on someone else’s behalf, to cram as much into a day as a day allows.” True for birdwatchers and parents and all of us on too tight schedules. She shares thoughts on reading, home, soft landings and fear. “I want for every overextended person in my life stretches of unclaimed time and solitude away from the tyranny of the clock, vast space to get bored and lost, waking dreams that take us beyond the calculative surface of things.”
Before the last section, Winter, Kyo tells of what the birder musician taught her. I think she already knew some of it. “ Make leeway for chance… The best songs don’t always come from a locatable place. Keep your eyes and ears and mind open to beauty. Look for birds in unprecious places, beside fast-food restaurants and in mall parking lots… Good shoes go a long way… Never carry more than you need…There is really no one person who can give you a map for living.” I think she wanted that map. I used to. As I start my 6th decade, I understand how much would be lost if someone told us everything to do and cautioned too often. That’s for keeping children safe.

An unconventionally-written book about a seldom discussed and important topic... with plenty of birds thrown in! I really wanted to love this, for its quirkiness and honesty. I enjoyed it for these reasons but I didn't connect easily with its disjointed and meandering writing style. Rather than being a unique and interesting narrative method, it instantly put me one step behind and I never quite caught up.

For those who can make their peace with the presentation, I feel there is much that can be taken from this - many an intriguing comparison is made and deep, personal thoughts are unmasked frankly. The journey into Maclear's psyche is, after all, a enlightening one; even if how we get there isn't, perhaps, everyone's cup of tea.

At the time of writing, this appears to be a case of the wrong book for the wrong reader, unfortunately. Nonetheless, I am thankful for having had the opportunity to read Maclear's writing for the first time and will likely investigate her work in other genres as a result.

I read this shortly after reading Yiyun Li's "Dear Friend, From My Life I Write to You in Your Life" and found parallels between the pacing and elegiac tone of the two novels. In this case, though, Maclear spends time wallowing in ornithology rather than self pity, as she embarks on a year-long quest to go bird-watching with an unnamed musician.
The unusual hobby of this urban artist, draws Maclear to him, abandoning her husband and two young children at home as they chase after rare species based on online chatter (I couldn't bring myself to write tweets!). It's a slow lyrical journey around an urban landscape in search of nature at its finest, and a strange yet captivating tale. You don't have to be a twitcher to appreciate this dreamy, delicate tale, just someone with an open mind and an interest in all species.

<http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=62347>

Freeing

Maclear writes this book in a candid manner, reflecting upon her life against the backdrop of her new found love for birds and birding. At times, her birding adventures arrive at the forefront, humbling her and reminding her of the growing struggles in the world; that there are greater issues. In light of her discovery of her love for birds, she learns to look at the world in a different perspective: looking outwards, and realising that nearly all of us desire freedom from something and we read books, daydream, create art in hopes of manifesting a better reality for ourselves. She herself tried running away as a teenager, but quickly awakened to the fact that she was running from a part of her. It was from this situation, she developed an adoration for living within one's means, what a person can do with what they have- for limitless freedom is not something we all posses, other philosophers tend to be of the opinion that it's an impossible concept altogether.

Maclear however is a firm believer of freedom, and she voices several of her biggest regrets in this book, as well as the lessons she has acquired through her keen and eager observation of bird life. How, it is not just a simple and beautiful hobby but that it can give way to the grim knowledge that there is damage in the world but that often, it's birds who are the victorious ones in battling the crimes of humanity on the earth that is their home too.

Personally, I especially enjoyed reading of Maclear's passion for birding, how it was inspired and how she kept at it. I'm one of those people who dabble in multiple hobbies, I may have learnt a good deal but I can never stay committed to any one thing. Well, aside from reading, and writing from time to time: those are my constants. I shared Maclear's stance on bird extinction, the idea of scientifically engineering the birds that the world has lost and the still prevalent practice of caging wild birds. Caging the species that make up the wilderness, or oppression in all its forms, is something I've always been opposed to. In reading this book I was reminded of Maya Angelou's words on the unfairness of oppression, racism, and the motivation behind protests in the endeavour of living in a better world: of freedom. She wrote, as part of her poem 'I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings',

"The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom."

I received this book through NetGalley and it is one I do recommend even if you possess little interest in birds, for there are some valuable tidbits you'll learn and appreciate nonetheless.

This is an intricate and delicate memoir that is in fact more than just a memoir this is poetic and allows the reader the peace and freedom of nature’s cure. Birds. Art. Life. Death. by Kyo Maclear is not just a book about birds it is about how nature helped during a difficult period in Kyo’s life.

Kyo Maclear was born in London and the family emigrated to Canada when she was four-years-old. When her father suffered two strokes she tells of suffering from “anticipatory grief” she felt that she needed something out of her life of waiting for the telephone calls from the hospital something different. That something different is actually all around us every day. That is wild birds. For Maclear she had heard of a musician who gained the love of photographing wild birds in and around Toronto.

After contacting “the musician” in the hope of a bird walk what happened next is a book called Birds. Art. Life. Death. A book that covers not just the initial bird walk with “the musician” but a book covering every month of the year they watching and discovering birds. This is a book that is the purest form of nature’s cure a meditation as the reader is invited along with Maclear as she talks about not just the peace she finds in watching and discovering urban birds but openly discusses her parents, her past, the books she enjoyed through her life and almost anything and everything that she wanted to bring out into the open. I loved the way she uses words to describe certain birds they discover through the year. It is unique and at times made me smile. Being a keen birder through my life I have found times when I have done something similar.
Do not expect a rip roaring memoir but a book that moves along at a constant slow pace as it should do but it is so beautifully presented and Maclear’s prose is something to be cherished. The book is interspersed with drawings and small images of birds. So many topics are covered in 256 pages looking back I found it incredible to think that Kyo Maclear managed to achieve this.

If you are struggling with the current world news and need some of nature’s cure. I would happily recommend you pick up a copy and join Kyo and “the musician” and discover the peace that you will find in discovering some of the wild urban birds.

Thank you to Fourth Estate for the advanced review copy.

This book does exactly what it says on the cover—speaks about birds, art, life and death—and does so in a fascinating, wise, contemplative and insightful way. I appreciated it as a reflective memoir, a revelation about the life, habitat and habits of birds and how life and death are an intrinsic part of art, and vice versa. Its thoughts on the creative process, delightful pen and ink sketches and photographs added richness to the text and strongly appealed to the writer/artist in me.

I'm no bird lover but I was intrigued to learn about the varied species, how best to discover, view and capture them on film without causing any undue distress, and with respect for their way of life. Awareness of these things helps inform our humanity, reminding us about how we need to take care of one another and the environment we find ourselves in.

This isn't a book to rush through but to savour slowly and glean its many nuggets of wisdom along the way. You will be well rewarded if you pause to consider how each small side note from the bird-watching narrative offers plentiful literary references to explore if you're so inclined (I was), and if you appreciate that the book is about far more than its suggested content can convey. I loved it and highly recommend it.

There comes a time when novelists, as with any creative professional, become unmotivated or at a loss as to what to write about – writer’s block. Such an occurrence happened to children’s novelist, Kyo Maclear. Through the work of her songwriter husband, Maclear discovers a musician struggling with the demands of his career in a competitive world, causing anxiety and depression. In order to distance himself from the stresses of his employment, the musician finds solace in bird watching. Intrigued as to what prompted his ardent interest in birds, Maclear tags along with him for a year, and thus, Birds Art Life Death: A Field Guide to the Small and Significant was born.

To preempt any confusion, despite what the title may suggest, this book is not a field guide about birds. When Maclear began talking to the musician (who remains anonymous except for a mention in the acknowledgements), she was completely nescient on the subject of birds and had a lot to learn. Although some facts are stated in the narrative, Birds Art Life Death is more a reflective memoir of the author’s life. Using bird watching as a key example, Maclear explores the ways artists of all kinds have retreated from the pressures of everyday life in order to take time to appreciate the smaller, less celebrated aspects.

Bird watching, in particular, provides the musician and Maclear the opportunity to sit still (literally) and just be. Paying attention to the numerous habitats of the winged-creatures provides the author with a new outlook on life, and fodder to include in future works (hence this book). It also gives her the opportunity to reflect on her past, her parents – particularly her anticipatory grief toward her elderly father – her husband, and her sons. In fact, the author’s own life features as heavily as the bird watching trips she goes on.

Written in chronological order from winter through to autumn, Maclear’s knowledge of birds increases, as does her awareness of the world and life around her. However, her sequence of events is often interrupted by retrospective thought and additional research, which causes the book to head in too many directions at once. It is as though the author’s disorganized mind has been spilled onto the page for everyone to see.

It is clear, however, that Maclear has put an exceptional amount of time into researching the topic of birds. She does not regurgitate factual, mundane information about the species; instead she has delved deeper and from an artistic point of view, to discover so much more than an encyclopedic textbook would provide.

From a myriad of resources, Maclear has pulled out quotes from bird enthusiasts and creative individuals alike to emphasise the effects birds have had on people’s lives and artistic careers. Interestingly, many artists and authors have found the delicate creatures fascinating and included them in their works, for example: Leonardo da Vinci, Charles Dickens, William Faulkner and Iris Murdoch.

Birds Art Life Death is unlikely to increase your knowledge of birds or bird watching, however it may inspire you to take time out to explore and enjoy nature. Whether you are a creative individual in need of a break, or an office worker desperately wanting some fresh air, Maclear encourages you to step back from the trials of life and find pleasure in the little, but highly significant, facts of being.

This intriguing memoir explores Kyo Maclear’s year spent following a musician friend on his birding excursions. Searching for a way to manage her grief over her father’s terminal illness, she discovers the beauty and importance of birds. She questions how our passions shape us, and the significance of knowledge.

I really liked this book. It doesn’t follow a particular storyline, instead it is made up of chapters based on different aspects of Maclear’s self-exploration. Because of this structure, the book does not ‘flow’ and is quite a slow read considering its length (only around 250 pages), but it is still well-written and enjoyable.

I personally do not have any particular interest in birds. I appreciate their beauty and like to see them around, but am not a bird watcher by any stretch of the imagination. I probably don’t fit into the target audience for this book, but it did not hinder my reading experience at all. Maclear’s thoughts are insightful and intriguing, and I really enjoyed learning a bit more about birds and birding in general.

I especially loved the images and sketches included in the book. I wish that I had read a physical copy rather than an ebook because I do think that the reading experience of this book didn’t live up to its full potential on a kindle (not something I think about many books).

I recommend this book even to those who are not especially interested in birds or memoirs. It is approachable, easy to understand and really quite thought-provoking.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted something 'different' from the books I usually read and I was not disappointed with this book. It is an uplifting and poignant story following Kyo Maclear on a year long journey following the musician. It wasso much more than a book about bird watching it in some ways reflects life itself. I loved the drawings interspersed throughout and the way each month had a chapter of it's own. This book deserves to stay on your shelves and reread now and then when you need a slower pace and can enjoy it

"If you listen to birds ,every day will have a song in it" In this refreshingly different story Kyo MacLear meets with a birdwatching musician who introduces her to an entirely new world. Over the course of a year she learns to appreciate the miracle of how birds survive and their importance, if appreciated, in bringing balance to an often chaotic world. Sitting watching birds for hour upon hour allows her to re-evaluate her own life and relationships and by the end of the book we feel she is much better placed to cope with the hectic dash of daily life that we all face every day. This is a book full of acute observations and wonderful little anecdotes. What's for sure is you'll end up respecting birds not only for their miraculous survival over millions of years but also for the value of the wonderful free music they give every one of us every day.

This is a gentle book that made me really think about so many things in my life. It’s not just about bird watching, something I do regularly, but about living deliberately in our fragile world. I loved the way it follows the birding year around Toronto, with it’s highs and lows and I enjoyed the author’s thoughts on Love, Waiting, Lulls and Smallness. Definitely a book that I’ll return to throughout this year and years to come.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, 4th Estate and the author for free my digital copy.

Kyo Maclear is a writer. She is married with two young children. "Birds Art Life" gives a month to month account of the year when she was looking to do something different in her day to day life.

Kyo was born in London, lived in Japan with her grandmother and now lives in Canada. Her father has suffered a couple of strokes and she is going through a period of "preventive anxiety". She needs something other than her writing to keep her mind occupied. She used to have an interest in Art and is thinking about going back to drawing.

She comes across a musician who has an indepth knowledge of birds and decides to go down this route instead. She soon learns to appreciate the benefits of being out in the natural environment whilst learning about various birds. Something that most don't get a chance to experience due to the demands and pressure of work and life in general.

She has flashbacks of her younger days throughout the story, a meaningful insight to her life as it is now. There is background information about her parents from the time that they met to date. Nothing stays the same. She makes references to various artists coupled with some interesting quotes.

The message in this story is that we look at the material things and forget about about the simpler things in life. "Everything is wonderful but Nobody is happy".

I was kindly issued with a complimentary eARC from the publisher via NetGalley and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

What a delight. A book that intertwines bird song and music. It brought joy to my soul.

"There are no big reasons to live. Just little reasons."

I read Birds Art Life Death at the right time for me. It's been a rather miserable January in the world (one word, Trump), and also a slow and rather stunted one for me; lots of ideas, no money, depressing weather and feeling a little 'what now.' This book is a breath of fresh air and it reminded me to focus on the smaller things in life and not always race to achieve. Yes, it sounds like a stereotypical self-help book, and it definitely has elements of that, but the concept of following a birder for a year gave it a really refreshing feel.

I like the way Maclear sets out the book, splitting it into seasons and annotating it with sketches, facts and quotes.

She walks a tightrope between keeping the tone light while covering tough topics, but at the same time trying not to fall into the trap of being pretentious and overly wallowing. I won't lie, sometimes she does this, and the introspection becomes a bit too much. But she's quite good at pulling it back to reality and stop it getting too bogged down in self-help overkill.

"Now I spend hours trying to spot tiny distant creatures that don't give a shit if I see them or not. I spend most of my time loving something that won't ever love me back. Talk about a lesson in insignificance."

Maclear often quotes other authors and birders, with some wise words inserted here and there. However, it does become a bit overpopulated at some points. Mostly they add to the narrative but sometimes there are so many that it's a bit overwhelming and takes away from the minimalist aspect of the books.

I like the honesty in Birds Art Life Death; it's a very honest book on both subjects both big and small, such as death, motherhood, immigration, culture, friendship etc.

I also like going on the trip with her to become a 'birder.' She knows next to nothing about birds at the start and it felt very much the way I would go about it.

Maclear encourages the reader to look for both birds and beauty in the unlikeliest places, or rather 'The Musician' does who encourages her to search for birds in the urban expanse of Toronto.

"Birding is more than an activity. It's a disposition. Keep your eyes and ears and mind open to beauty. Look for birds in unprecious places, beside fast-food restaurants and in mall parking lots."

I can't say I desperately want to go bird-watching now, but as I live in the countryside there are always birds around and since reading Birds Art Life Death I have definitely been more aware of them and have paused to appreciate their beauty.

Maclear is a children's book author, I've never read any of her books but I think I'll take a look.

My Rating: 3.5 (rounded up to 4 for Goodreads and NetGalley)

I received a digital copy of the book via NetGalley in return for an honest review. My thanks to the author and publisher.

This is definitely a quirky book; approach with an open mind and you're likely to find it rewarding. It's filled with wisdom and insight.

Although there's a loosely structured format based on seasons, the narrative meanders as Kyo Maclear ponders a wealth of disparate and seemingly unrelated topics. But there are threads which run throughout, mostly around life, death and the seemingly insignificant. It's a difficult book to describe without making it sound disconnected and trivial. I found it a little difficult, at first, to settle into the format which is definitely whimsical. But once I let each page tell its own story, I found it surprisingly engaging. It's a book to revisit as there are many literary, artistic and other references littered throughout to both enjoy and think about. It's a surprising little gem.