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Book Cover for: Wise Hours: A Journey Into the Wild and Secret World of Owls, Miriam Darlington

Wise Hours: A Journey Into the Wild and Secret World of Owls

Miriam Darlington

Paperback
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Reader Score

72%

72% of readers

recommend this book

Critic Reviews

Good

Based on 6 reviews on

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Owls have existed for over sixty million years, and in the relatively short time we have shared the planet with these majestic birds they have ignited the human imagination. But even as owls continue to captivate our collective consciousness, celebrated British nature writer Miriam Darlington finds herself struck by all she doesn't know about the true nature of these enigmatic creatures.

Darlington begins her fieldwork in the British Isles with her teenage son, Benji. As her avian fascination grows, she travels to France, Serbia, Spain, Finland, and the frosted Lapland borders of the Arctic for rare encounters with the Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, Long-eared Owl, Pygmy Owl, Snowy Owl, and more. But when her son develops a mysterious illness, her quest to understand the elusive nature of owls becomes entangled with her search for finding a cure.

In The Wise Hours, Darlington watches and listens to the natural world and to the rhythms of her home and family, inviting readers to discover the wonders of owls alongside her while rewilding our imagination with the mystery, fragility, and magnificence of all creatures.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Tin House Books
  • Publish Date: Jan 16th, 2024
  • Pages: 336
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.20in - 5.70in - 1.50in - 0.75lb
  • EAN: 9781959030324
  • Categories: • Environmentalists & Naturalists• Animals - Birds• Memoirs

About the Author

Darlington, Miriam: - Miriam Darlington is the author of The Wise Hours: A Journey into the Wild and Secret World of Owls and contributes frequently to The Times, The Guardian, and The Ecologist. She lives in Devon, England.

More books by Miriam Darlington

Book Cover for: Otter Country: An Unexpected Adventure in the Natural World, Miriam Darlington

What people are saying

Mentioner image for: Tin House
Tin House
@Tin_House
1 year

Brilliant review of 🦉The Wise Hours by @MimDarling at @10000birds — Mike Bergin calls it "perceptive and affecting."✨ https://t.co/x4O4d7RxJg https://t.co/jSVX9bDn5a

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Mentioner image for: RTD Culture
RTD Culture
@RTDCulture
2 years

Your source for arts, entertainment, event and dining news from The Richmond Times-Dispatch. For news and politics, follow us on @RTDNEWS.

Owl Pellets (Editor's note: Science writer Miriam Darlington has long been captivated by owls, and in her memoir "The Wise Hours" she travels throughout her native England as well as https://t.co/JZntRY9ITw

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Mentioner image for: Laurie Hertzel
Laurie Hertzel
@LaurieHertzel
2 years

Laurie Hertzel is a book critic.

THIS SUNDAY on our books pages: I respond to the @guardian column by @rhiannonlucyc about giving away books; I review My Last Innocent Year by Daisy A. Florin; we excerpt the beautiful THE WISE HOURS by Miriam Darlington; Malcolm Forbes reviews ... (1/2)

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Critics’ reviews

Praise for this book

"While tracing the history and science of owls, the author must confront another haunting enigma: her son's mysterious illness."-- "People Magazine, Book of the Week"
Unfailingly precise and lovingly poetic. . . . Nature writing of the first order.-- "The Wall Street Journal"
Flights of poetic prose raise a shiver. . . . proves we don't need life lessons to appreciate the world's marvels.-- "The Washington Post"
A smooth mixture of memoir and nature writing. . . . Lyrical and captivating. . . . heartfelt, enchanting, and beautifully written.-- "Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review"
Lyrical. . . . moving. . . . Dazzling.-- "Publishers Weekly, Starred Review"
Beautiful. . . . wonderfully informative and enjoyable.-- "Booklist"
Open this book, and be thrilled to look at the owl with an even more profound sense of knowledge.-- "The Muskogee Phoenix"
Heartfelt. . . . Darlington's work is as unique and enchanting as its subjects.-- "She Reads"
Lovely. . . . An excellent read. . . . Whether dissecting owl pellets, collecting strange samples or braving the elements (or her own foibles), Darlington brings a sense of wonder to her writing.-- "Spectrum Culture"
A beautiful book; wise and sharp-eared as its subject.--Robert Macfarlane
Enchanting.--Tristan Gooley, author of How to Read Nature
A lyrical examination of the interweaving place owls hold in nature and human culture; Darlington writes with intimacy and beauty.--Jonathan C. Slaght, author of Owls of the Eastern Ice
Beautiful descriptions of these magnificent creatures and their habitats.--P.D. Smith, author of City
Darlington brings humor, humility, and a refreshing subjectivity to her quest to understand these charismatic creatures.--Melissa Harrison, author of All Among the Barley
A delight. Darlington's vision, sensitivity and word craft are vital.--Caspar Henderson, author of A New Map of Wonders
Captivating.-- "The Times"
Vivid and engaging.-- "Sunday Times"
Achingly beautiful.-- "The Guardian"
Perceptive and affecting.-- "BIRDS"

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