When Women Were Birds

The Book We're Talking About This Week - HuffPost

"When Women Were Birds" by Terry Tempest Williams

Sarah Crichton Books, $23
Published April 10th, 2012

What is it about?
After her mother's death, Terry Tempest Williams opens her mother's journals - and finds that they are all blank. This book is a meditation on what information they could have contained, as well as a fragmented memoir of Williams' own life, mixed in with reflections on womanhood, her Mormon upbringing, and environmentalism. It contains 54 short pieces, labeled as "variations on voice" - her mother was 54 when she died, and Williams is 54 years old now.

Why are we talking about it?
It's a lyrical, timeless book that rewards quiet, attentive reading - a rare thing in today's publishing marketplace. It also contains a simple flickbook of a bird flying, next to the text. We like that.

Who wrote it?
Terry Tempest Williams is an author and conservationist who has been highly decorated for her work in wilderness preservation, in particular in Utah, where she was raised. She is a member of the Ecology Hall of Fame. She has previously written books about the essays, and children's books.

Who will read it?
Fans of Williams' work; people who enjoy lyricism and strong feminine themes; teenage girls and older women, possibily together.

What do the reviewers say?

Click here to read what reviewers said, and to read a short excerpt from the book