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Fledgling
Read the powerful account of one woman’s struggle to reshape her identity when all normality has fallen away.
When lifelong bird-lover Hannah Bourne-Taylor moved with her husband to Ghana seven years ago she couldn’t have anticipated how her life would be forever changed by her unexpected encounters with nature and the subsequent bonds she formed.
Plucked from the comfort and predictability of her life before, Hannah struggled to establish herself in her new environment, striving to belong in the rural grasslands far away from home.
In this challenging situation, she was forced to turn inwards and interrogate her own sense of identity, however in the animal life around her, and in two wild birds in particular, Hannah found a source of solace and a way to reconnect with the world in which she was living.
Fledgling is a portrayal of adaptability, resilience and self-discovery in the face of isolation and change, fuelled by the quiet power of nature and the unexpected bonds with animals she encounters.
Hannah encourages us to reconsider the conventional boundaries of the relationships people have with animals through her inspiring and very beautiful glimpse ofwhat is possible when we allow ourselves to connect to the natural world.
Full of determination and compassion, Fledgling is apowerful meditation on our instinctive connection to nature. It shows that even the tiniest of birds can teach us what is important in life and how to embrace every day.
When lifelong bird-lover Hannah Bourne-Taylor moved with her husband to Ghana seven years ago she couldn’t have anticipated how her life would be forever changed by her unexpected encounters with nature and the subsequent bonds she formed.
Plucked from the comfort and predictability of her life before, Hannah struggled to establish herself in her new environment, striving to belong in the rural grasslands far away from home.
In this challenging situation, she was forced to turn inwards and interrogate her own sense of identity, however in the animal life around her, and in two wild birds in particular, Hannah found a source of solace and a way to reconnect with the world in which she was living.
Fledgling is a portrayal of adaptability, resilience and self-discovery in the face of isolation and change, fuelled by the quiet power of nature and the unexpected bonds with animals she encounters.
Hannah encourages us to reconsider the conventional boundaries of the relationships people have with animals through her inspiring and very beautiful glimpse ofwhat is possible when we allow ourselves to connect to the natural world.
Full of determination and compassion, Fledgling is apowerful meditation on our instinctive connection to nature. It shows that even the tiniest of birds can teach us what is important in life and how to embrace every day.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published April 5, 2022
12 people are currently reading
379 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
April 13, 2022
Almost four thousand miles from her home in southern England lies the house that she lived in, in Ghana. It is located very close to the 0-degree latitude and longitude intersection and is so utterly different to anything else that she was used to. She was with her husband who was running a sports foundation. He has all the various permits needed to work there, but being a trailing spouse, someone who was not allowed any paid work in the country.
Her residence permit was vividly marked ‘dependent’. To say that she was lonely and lost was an understatement. She clung to little treats, such as a spoonful of marmalade each day as a reminder of home and happier times. It was supposed to be an adventure, but the warning from her parents about what could go wrong and the snakes that could kill her should she happen to come across them was just terrifying.
One thing that did lift her was the return of the swift from their long journey back from Europe. She stood out in a rainstorm waiting for them to arrive and soon after the rain stopped they appeared in the sky screaming and acting like aeronautical hooligans as they flew far too close to everything. As the sun set, she turned for home and as she approached the school, she saw a man poking under the eaves, she saw something fall and after he had left went over to see. There was a tiny swift in amongst the debris. She tried to help it, but it didn’t want to leave her hand. She made a snap decision and took it, home.
I didn’t fully realise it at the time, but it was not just the bird’s life at stake. Somehow, it was also mine.
This was the moment that it changed for her in Ghana, this new beginning with this swift gave her a purpose and the goal of getting this bird back into the air with its fellows. It would not be the first bird, she would end up caring for a mannikin finch after. It is a heartfelt memoir about one woman’s loneliness in another country and the way that she manages to cope with being far from home and family. Bourne-Taylor is very open and honest about her feelings all the way through the book and I think that she writes well in this, her debut. We all take different things from immersion in the natural world and this is how it gave as much to her as she gave back to it.
Her residence permit was vividly marked ‘dependent’. To say that she was lonely and lost was an understatement. She clung to little treats, such as a spoonful of marmalade each day as a reminder of home and happier times. It was supposed to be an adventure, but the warning from her parents about what could go wrong and the snakes that could kill her should she happen to come across them was just terrifying.
One thing that did lift her was the return of the swift from their long journey back from Europe. She stood out in a rainstorm waiting for them to arrive and soon after the rain stopped they appeared in the sky screaming and acting like aeronautical hooligans as they flew far too close to everything. As the sun set, she turned for home and as she approached the school, she saw a man poking under the eaves, she saw something fall and after he had left went over to see. There was a tiny swift in amongst the debris. She tried to help it, but it didn’t want to leave her hand. She made a snap decision and took it, home.
I didn’t fully realise it at the time, but it was not just the bird’s life at stake. Somehow, it was also mine.
This was the moment that it changed for her in Ghana, this new beginning with this swift gave her a purpose and the goal of getting this bird back into the air with its fellows. It would not be the first bird, she would end up caring for a mannikin finch after. It is a heartfelt memoir about one woman’s loneliness in another country and the way that she manages to cope with being far from home and family. Bourne-Taylor is very open and honest about her feelings all the way through the book and I think that she writes well in this, her debut. We all take different things from immersion in the natural world and this is how it gave as much to her as she gave back to it.
April 14, 2022
sigh! Shut up! I’m not crying you are! There is no way that you’re gonna finish this book without feeling just a little bit of grief that it is over, this book will effect you and you’ll not be ready for that. Hannah’s writing is so immersive after spending some time reading I would look around me in shock that I wasn’t in Ghana and I didn’t have a little baby Finch nesting in my hair (full disclosure I don’t actually have enough hair for this to happen but we can dream).
Hannah follows her husband to Ghana when he gets a job there, she has no job herself and feels an incredible amount of homesickness and a loss of identity. She struggles to make friends and doesn’t conform to what is considered normal for a wife…as is often the case Nature steps up and embraces her. Witnessing somebody knocking a nest off a building she finds a young swift on the ground, too young to take flight, Hannah’s compassion kicks in and she takes it home. After much research she finds out as much information she can as she slowly bonds with the swift, gradually earning a sort of trust. There are many ups and downs and a huge amount of commitment on Hannah’s part, the ups will make you grin big time and the downs will hit you hard.
It’s when Hannah comes across a Finch in need of help that she truly finds herself, the bond between human and bird was incredible, the quickness that the bird decides Hannah will be the giver of food was impressive and each time it flew to her for safety had my heart melting. The question that was constantly on my mind was “is this bond too strong, has the bird lost it’s wild ways?” I said before that the book is very immersive and as the day arrived where the bird needed to be released I noticed the book was also nearing the end, it was a very weird feeling, usually at the end of a good book I feel happy that it is ending and gave me a good time, this time however, it was hard to let go, I decided if Hannah could let go then I would have to too.
There is more to the book than this little bird, Hannah shares with us all the other creatures out there from spiders all the way up to fellow humans, this is a full on nature book. How she sees other humans is very much like how I see them, nice to find I ain’t alone.
100% recommend this book, stunning cover, beautiful end papers and a wonderful, honest account of one woman trying to find who she is in a strange country, I enjoyed every single page. If I ever find a bird in need of help I feel more prepared now.
Blog Review (with a video): https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2022...
Hannah follows her husband to Ghana when he gets a job there, she has no job herself and feels an incredible amount of homesickness and a loss of identity. She struggles to make friends and doesn’t conform to what is considered normal for a wife…as is often the case Nature steps up and embraces her. Witnessing somebody knocking a nest off a building she finds a young swift on the ground, too young to take flight, Hannah’s compassion kicks in and she takes it home. After much research she finds out as much information she can as she slowly bonds with the swift, gradually earning a sort of trust. There are many ups and downs and a huge amount of commitment on Hannah’s part, the ups will make you grin big time and the downs will hit you hard.
It’s when Hannah comes across a Finch in need of help that she truly finds herself, the bond between human and bird was incredible, the quickness that the bird decides Hannah will be the giver of food was impressive and each time it flew to her for safety had my heart melting. The question that was constantly on my mind was “is this bond too strong, has the bird lost it’s wild ways?” I said before that the book is very immersive and as the day arrived where the bird needed to be released I noticed the book was also nearing the end, it was a very weird feeling, usually at the end of a good book I feel happy that it is ending and gave me a good time, this time however, it was hard to let go, I decided if Hannah could let go then I would have to too.
There is more to the book than this little bird, Hannah shares with us all the other creatures out there from spiders all the way up to fellow humans, this is a full on nature book. How she sees other humans is very much like how I see them, nice to find I ain’t alone.
100% recommend this book, stunning cover, beautiful end papers and a wonderful, honest account of one woman trying to find who she is in a strange country, I enjoyed every single page. If I ever find a bird in need of help I feel more prepared now.
Blog Review (with a video): https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2022...
April 23, 2022
This nature loving author writes a very open memoir about her struggling mental health as she moves from the UK to Ghana to support her Husband. However she is not allowed to work under restrictions as a trailing spouse and as someone who has had to leave a career, close family and good social life she finds it increasingly difficult- the isolation and loneliness not knowing anyone, the different climate, terrain and her Husbands long working hours.
Then one day on the startling discovery of a small fledgling on the floor Hannah realises this little innocent bird is totally dependant on her for survival and she sets about researching and hand rearing it which gives her days meaning, routine and a purpose. This bird would be the first of a small collection she goes on to rescue with another bird and dogs.
It is a honest, raw & emotionally heartwarming account as she often feels torn between two Countries, two sets of priorities and animals ( Shoebill the street dog).
The writing is so easy to follow and her family and Husband all well portrayed. I found it so endearing how she credited her love of animals to her parents and how she then managed to have that same effect on her Husband who warmed more and more to them, got involved and ending up doing the big release in to the wild and talking her in to another rescue dog!.
By the end I was totally choked up.
A book I have already recommended to many others and certainly will go on doing so especially to anyone with a love for nature.
My thanks go to the author, publisher and Netgalley in providing this arc in return for a honest review.
Then one day on the startling discovery of a small fledgling on the floor Hannah realises this little innocent bird is totally dependant on her for survival and she sets about researching and hand rearing it which gives her days meaning, routine and a purpose. This bird would be the first of a small collection she goes on to rescue with another bird and dogs.
It is a honest, raw & emotionally heartwarming account as she often feels torn between two Countries, two sets of priorities and animals ( Shoebill the street dog).
The writing is so easy to follow and her family and Husband all well portrayed. I found it so endearing how she credited her love of animals to her parents and how she then managed to have that same effect on her Husband who warmed more and more to them, got involved and ending up doing the big release in to the wild and talking her in to another rescue dog!.
By the end I was totally choked up.
A book I have already recommended to many others and certainly will go on doing so especially to anyone with a love for nature.
My thanks go to the author, publisher and Netgalley in providing this arc in return for a honest review.
March 30, 2023
Nature-lover Hannah Bourne-Taylor lived in Ghana for eight years for her husband’s job. As a dependent spouse, she was not permitted to work and, in their rural setting, she felt cut off from any expatriate community. From childhood she’d been an obsessive animal rescuer – fishing ants out of swimming pools, for instance – and when she found a swift that had been displaced from its nest, her protective instincts went into overdrive. Collecting hundreds of termites, she fed the bird to a demanding schedule for two weeks before releasing it. This went as disastrously as it could, but she soon got another chance when she found a grounded bronze-winged mannikin finch fledgling after a storm. Their bond was even closer: the bird climbed her body and nested in her hair, and they developed a mutual language of chirps. The care routine sounds like it was not so different from having an infant. She even calls the finch her daemon.
There is something very insular about this narrative, such that I had trouble gauging the passage of time. Raising the two birds, adopting street dogs, going on a pangolin patrol with a conservation charity – was this a matter of a couple of months, or were events separated by years? Ghana is an intriguing setting, yet because there is no attempt to integrate, she can only give a white outsider’s perspective on the culture, and indigenous people barely feature. I was sympathetic to the author’s feelings of loneliness and being trapped between countries, not belonging in either, but she overstates the lessons of compassion and freedom the finch taught. The writing, while informed and passionate about nature, needs a good polish (many misplaced modifiers, wrong prepositions, errors in epigraph quotes, homonym slips – “sight” instead of “site”; “balled” in place of “bawled”; “base” where it should be “bass,” twice – and so on). Still, it’s a promising debut from a valuable nature advocate, and I share her annual delight in welcoming England’s swifts, as in the scenes that open and close the book.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
There is something very insular about this narrative, such that I had trouble gauging the passage of time. Raising the two birds, adopting street dogs, going on a pangolin patrol with a conservation charity – was this a matter of a couple of months, or were events separated by years? Ghana is an intriguing setting, yet because there is no attempt to integrate, she can only give a white outsider’s perspective on the culture, and indigenous people barely feature. I was sympathetic to the author’s feelings of loneliness and being trapped between countries, not belonging in either, but she overstates the lessons of compassion and freedom the finch taught. The writing, while informed and passionate about nature, needs a good polish (many misplaced modifiers, wrong prepositions, errors in epigraph quotes, homonym slips – “sight” instead of “site”; “balled” in place of “bawled”; “base” where it should be “bass,” twice – and so on). Still, it’s a promising debut from a valuable nature advocate, and I share her annual delight in welcoming England’s swifts, as in the scenes that open and close the book.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
December 20, 2023
Hannah Bourne-Taylor found herself in Ghana as accompanying spouse when her husband accepted a role in education in the country. With little to do, she initially struggled to adapt, but then she saw a swift nest destroyed and found a fledgling that she hand-reared. The success rate of hand-rearing swifts is virtually nil as they are incredibly finicky about their food and have to wight an exact weight at the moment of launch after which they only come back to earth to raise their young. A finch was her next project before returning to England. Her descriptions of the birds and natural world is Ghana are exquisite and her tenacity and commitment to the two fledglings admirable. The book left me in tears more than once. Since returning to England Hannah has set out to protect the UK swifts which have seen a 70% population decline over the past 30 years. Her petition delivered to Parliament in homage to Lady Godiva #theFeatherSpeech saw the UK Parliament considering the plight of swifts in 2023. My book of 2023 without the slightest doubt.
April 22, 2022
“Were it but free, it would soar cloud-high” (Charlotte Bronte)
Reading this achingly-tender memoir, embodied through words, is to move beyond words - to the riding of a wave of rapturous, primal connection where emotion, pure and atavistic, soars free.
As the author, a young British wife, follows her husband to his new posting in Ghana, Africa, she learns first-hand the disabling pain of alienation, as she struggles to find her footing in a climate and terrain as foreign to her frame-of-reference as it is to her sense of identity.
A natural-history lover and long-time dedicated observer of wildlife, the author’s scrutiny of flying swifts - a globally-migratory bird so familiar to her that it immediately brings comfort - helps begin her transition to a form of settling-in.
When, unexpectedly, an injured swift requires rescue, an exquisitely-delicate dance of healing, both for the bird and the author herself - “an act of hope, an asking to belong” - is set in motion.
As it unfurls, the universality of love, connection and compassion between the human and her new self-appointed charge, (surely some of the most touching passages ever captured in recent language?), is as mesmerizing as it is anxiety-inducing. Will this tiny fledgling survive?
“For a moment I felt as though I was made of sunlight”.
“I had a sense of awe that I never got used to. There he was, a wild bird, born from a little egg high up in a grass nest between the dark leaves of a mango tree. Now he was with me, comforted by the beat of my heart and the sound of my voice. I got to see this. I got to feel this. A wild creature in the palm of my hand.”
Sure enough, there are twists and turns, (both heart-breaking and enthralling), yet to appear in this story, as we grow to love and hope, along with the author, in the transformation we can see unfolding.
Can wildness (with the purest of healing intentions) be captured (even momentarily)?
Just what secrets could one tiny “feathery ball of happiness” have to teach us all?
No spoilers here, you will have to read (and I urge you to read) this exquisite book to find out more.
A great big thank you to the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.
Reading this achingly-tender memoir, embodied through words, is to move beyond words - to the riding of a wave of rapturous, primal connection where emotion, pure and atavistic, soars free.
As the author, a young British wife, follows her husband to his new posting in Ghana, Africa, she learns first-hand the disabling pain of alienation, as she struggles to find her footing in a climate and terrain as foreign to her frame-of-reference as it is to her sense of identity.
A natural-history lover and long-time dedicated observer of wildlife, the author’s scrutiny of flying swifts - a globally-migratory bird so familiar to her that it immediately brings comfort - helps begin her transition to a form of settling-in.
When, unexpectedly, an injured swift requires rescue, an exquisitely-delicate dance of healing, both for the bird and the author herself - “an act of hope, an asking to belong” - is set in motion.
As it unfurls, the universality of love, connection and compassion between the human and her new self-appointed charge, (surely some of the most touching passages ever captured in recent language?), is as mesmerizing as it is anxiety-inducing. Will this tiny fledgling survive?
“For a moment I felt as though I was made of sunlight”.
“I had a sense of awe that I never got used to. There he was, a wild bird, born from a little egg high up in a grass nest between the dark leaves of a mango tree. Now he was with me, comforted by the beat of my heart and the sound of my voice. I got to see this. I got to feel this. A wild creature in the palm of my hand.”
Sure enough, there are twists and turns, (both heart-breaking and enthralling), yet to appear in this story, as we grow to love and hope, along with the author, in the transformation we can see unfolding.
Can wildness (with the purest of healing intentions) be captured (even momentarily)?
Just what secrets could one tiny “feathery ball of happiness” have to teach us all?
No spoilers here, you will have to read (and I urge you to read) this exquisite book to find out more.
A great big thank you to the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.
January 3, 2025
Very moving and detailed memoir about hand-rearing two wild birds in Ghana. Hannah has a truly special affinity with wildlife and that definitely shows in the way she writes about nature.
September 8, 2024
Fledgling, by Hannah Bourne-Taylor
I found the perfect book for me on my break in Gardone. Fledgling is set mainly in Ghana, but also in Oxfordshire, and is about rescuing birds and hand rearing them. If you loved H is for Hawk, and I did, then I think you’ll love this book too, because it’s about self discovery as much as it is about rearing fledglings by hand.
Bourne-Taylor is in Ghana on a residency visa due to her husband, Robin’s work. This means she has little to do with her time than eat spoonfuls of Seville marmalade while thinking of home. She discovers she belongs to Ghana while rearing a swift chick that has had its nest destroyed by a man with a stick.
The story of how she raises the chick from knowing nothing about how to go about it is both hair raisingly anxiety inducing and reassuring - I felt I’d found a kindred spirit in being bonkers about rescuing wounded or vulnerable wildlife. In my case, it’s hedgehogs, of course.
I won’t give away what happens at the end of the book, but it made me cry, and I don’t think I’ve cried reading a book for many years. I think The Book Thief was the last book I cried at. Anyway. It’s a stunningly wonderful read about how we are nothing without a connection to nature.
Please consider putting a swift box onto your house wall, if you can. 💕
I found the perfect book for me on my break in Gardone. Fledgling is set mainly in Ghana, but also in Oxfordshire, and is about rescuing birds and hand rearing them. If you loved H is for Hawk, and I did, then I think you’ll love this book too, because it’s about self discovery as much as it is about rearing fledglings by hand.
Bourne-Taylor is in Ghana on a residency visa due to her husband, Robin’s work. This means she has little to do with her time than eat spoonfuls of Seville marmalade while thinking of home. She discovers she belongs to Ghana while rearing a swift chick that has had its nest destroyed by a man with a stick.
The story of how she raises the chick from knowing nothing about how to go about it is both hair raisingly anxiety inducing and reassuring - I felt I’d found a kindred spirit in being bonkers about rescuing wounded or vulnerable wildlife. In my case, it’s hedgehogs, of course.
I won’t give away what happens at the end of the book, but it made me cry, and I don’t think I’ve cried reading a book for many years. I think The Book Thief was the last book I cried at. Anyway. It’s a stunningly wonderful read about how we are nothing without a connection to nature.
Please consider putting a swift box onto your house wall, if you can. 💕
April 12, 2022
This is probably one of the best books, I have ever read. It is glorious my full review is on my blog https://thefallenlibrarian.wordpress....
August 31, 2022
I read this book having seen Hannah do a signing in Oxford. I unfortunately judged it by its cover.
I read a large amount of naturist / ornithology focused books but this sadly came across purely as a vanity project.
There is nothing materially interesting or factual in this book. The book is poorly written (it needs a good review and proof-read) and I am quite honestly surprised it was published.
The book is essentially a very vague (and privileged) life story about her living in Africa with her husband (who seemed to be doing what sounded like a neo-colonial job) and it seems it was written purely as a hobby. Supposedly she let a bird live in her hair and has therefore used this as a reason to write a book.
Quite frankly this was £16.99 wasted and a good few hours lost.
Would strongly NOT recommend this book for anyone looking for a gripping read or an interesting insight. Shame, I was hoping for more - our local book club came to similar conclusions.
I read a large amount of naturist / ornithology focused books but this sadly came across purely as a vanity project.
There is nothing materially interesting or factual in this book. The book is poorly written (it needs a good review and proof-read) and I am quite honestly surprised it was published.
The book is essentially a very vague (and privileged) life story about her living in Africa with her husband (who seemed to be doing what sounded like a neo-colonial job) and it seems it was written purely as a hobby. Supposedly she let a bird live in her hair and has therefore used this as a reason to write a book.
Quite frankly this was £16.99 wasted and a good few hours lost.
Would strongly NOT recommend this book for anyone looking for a gripping read or an interesting insight. Shame, I was hoping for more - our local book club came to similar conclusions.
August 22, 2025
A very readable memoir in the expanding genre of 'bird helps human through mental health crisis'.
July 19, 2024
This book was selected for our raptor center's book club. If I were to use only one word to describe this book, it would be "descriptive."
There were quite a few moments that had me setting the book down to absorb and turn over what I had read, especially in the beginning. I appreciated her descriptive account of a large relocation. I don't believe that the intricacies of a difficult move are written about much, especially in such detail. It resonated with me as someone who has always moved frequently and commonly has trouble adjusting. And also as someone who has a strong connection with wildlife and finds solace there.
I also relate to her in her struggle with caring for all wildlife, no matter how small, and then having to turn around and take part in the predator/prey process.
There is certainly a moral and ethical conversation to be had about this type of rehabilitation. I can't say I wouldn't have tried to save the birds myself. With that being said, I do worry that someone who is from a location that has more resources (licensed rehabilitators, veterinary care, etc.) would try their hand at it after reading this book, with much more dire outcomes. I do believe we need to find a way to provide more resources to all, to prevent this type of mishandling. As you will read, there are a lot of considerations and caveats when it comes to wildlife rehab, especially birds, including the round the clock care. The author did, however, share the unfortunate realities of this process and the wild, which are numerous and pervasive. I applaud her efforts as she obviously got to the release stage, and that is no easy feat. It's a story worth telling.
There were quite a few moments that had me setting the book down to absorb and turn over what I had read, especially in the beginning. I appreciated her descriptive account of a large relocation. I don't believe that the intricacies of a difficult move are written about much, especially in such detail. It resonated with me as someone who has always moved frequently and commonly has trouble adjusting. And also as someone who has a strong connection with wildlife and finds solace there.
I also relate to her in her struggle with caring for all wildlife, no matter how small, and then having to turn around and take part in the predator/prey process.
There is certainly a moral and ethical conversation to be had about this type of rehabilitation. I can't say I wouldn't have tried to save the birds myself. With that being said, I do worry that someone who is from a location that has more resources (licensed rehabilitators, veterinary care, etc.) would try their hand at it after reading this book, with much more dire outcomes. I do believe we need to find a way to provide more resources to all, to prevent this type of mishandling. As you will read, there are a lot of considerations and caveats when it comes to wildlife rehab, especially birds, including the round the clock care. The author did, however, share the unfortunate realities of this process and the wild, which are numerous and pervasive. I applaud her efforts as she obviously got to the release stage, and that is no easy feat. It's a story worth telling.
April 9, 2022
'Fledgling' is a book for every animal and nature lover.
The heart of Bourne-Taylor's story is the bond she forges with a baby mannikin finch after rescuing him and intending to raise him to adulthood. Around this, she weaves a narrative of being lonely, of mental health struggles, and of finding solace in nature and other beings. Her writing is graceful, poetic without being overblown, and her experiences of raising the finch are at turns delightful and heart-stopping.
In less skilled hands, the inclusion of other elements of the author's life in the book might have felt like padding. But as it is, 'Fledgling' works on more levels than just a simple story about raising a baby bird. It's about kindness, curiosity, and risking heartbreak to live a fuller life. It's about the recognition that we are who we are because of others around us - and not just human-others.
A book to treasure and to remember.
(With thanks to Quarto and NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review)
The heart of Bourne-Taylor's story is the bond she forges with a baby mannikin finch after rescuing him and intending to raise him to adulthood. Around this, she weaves a narrative of being lonely, of mental health struggles, and of finding solace in nature and other beings. Her writing is graceful, poetic without being overblown, and her experiences of raising the finch are at turns delightful and heart-stopping.
In less skilled hands, the inclusion of other elements of the author's life in the book might have felt like padding. But as it is, 'Fledgling' works on more levels than just a simple story about raising a baby bird. It's about kindness, curiosity, and risking heartbreak to live a fuller life. It's about the recognition that we are who we are because of others around us - and not just human-others.
A book to treasure and to remember.
(With thanks to Quarto and NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review)
April 8, 2022
Fledgling is a non fiction story about a section of Hannah’s life when she had relocated to live in Ghana for her husbands job. She finds herself isolated, bored and struggling to adjust to a new country without any friends or family. The affect of this is that Hannah’s mental health declines, but when a swiftling gets knocked out of a nest and needs hand-rearing Hannah takes on the responsibility of giving this little being a chance of life. This in turn provides her with a sense of purpose, a mission, companionship and lifts her own mental health.
Hannah writes really honestly about her struggles with looking after her mental health, she is very generous is her own story and her description of how that felt was very well communicated. As a nature enthusiast myself and someone who feels connected to the natural world I enjoyed the sections about the wildlife in Ghana and the impact that could have on Hannah’s wellness.
Hannah writes really honestly about her struggles with looking after her mental health, she is very generous is her own story and her description of how that felt was very well communicated. As a nature enthusiast myself and someone who feels connected to the natural world I enjoyed the sections about the wildlife in Ghana and the impact that could have on Hannah’s wellness.
July 23, 2023
“If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it is yours. If it doesn’t, it never was.”
This is without doubt the best nature book I’ve ever read. The book charts the author’s relationship with two rescued fledgling birds. Firstly a swift and secondly a bronze-winged mannikin finch. Beautiful, sensitive writing makes this a heart-breaking yet life-affirming read. It’s a book which not only celebrates the natural word but helps us understand the importance of living in the moment.
This is without doubt the best nature book I’ve ever read. The book charts the author’s relationship with two rescued fledgling birds. Firstly a swift and secondly a bronze-winged mannikin finch. Beautiful, sensitive writing makes this a heart-breaking yet life-affirming read. It’s a book which not only celebrates the natural word but helps us understand the importance of living in the moment.
May 1, 2022
Fledgling by Hannah Bourne-Taylor is a beautifully written story of the authors journey of self discovery and the healing properties of her connection with the natural world around her. Moving to Ghana with her husband whose job took her away from family and friends. From a world she was familiar with, to a life that left her unmoored, with no feeling of belonging within the new world around her. It is intensely moving and brims with both hope and the author’s searing honesty about how her self confidence and mental health took a battering, as she sought a role in the new and intoxicating country she was now living in. Unable to work, she has to rebuild her identity and Fledgling tells the story of this journey.
It all sounds intensely worrying, but far from it! She lays out how she built a sense of hope and resilience in her life, through a deeply moving and inspiring connection with two wild birds, whom she rescued, raised by hand and then released back into the wild. What I loved about the book is how the author opened up about her struggles in this new life and then shared how she found answers to the powerful feelings and thoughts that troubled her. It felt to me ultimately uplifting and positive, by acknowledging with great sensitivity, that basic human need for connection with other living things.
Some of the most powerful elements of her writing are when she connects to the world that she found herself living in and as a result I felt I could almost walk from the pages into the Ghanaian grasslands. I felt the heart and the power of the storms and how fragile life is. The writing depicting a powerful sense of place. She brings it to life, not just the violence of the storms, or the life and death of the animals who lived there, but the quiet, intense moments that led to her finding understanding within the whirring turbulence of her own mind. .
She doesn’t treat us to a rose tinted view of her life or of the natural world around her. It’s what makes the book so moving, because though its pages are filled with an instinctive love of the natural world, the moments of life and death struggle bring perspective to the writing and the story she is telling. It helped her and me the reader, find peace and acceptance in our own mortality.
We can learn so much from Hannah Bourne Taylor’s Fledgling! That really important things are found in our connection to the natural world around us. That the constant and modern obsession with things, with technology, can not bring us peace and pale into insignificance to the majesty and power of the natural world to heal us.
It all sounds intensely worrying, but far from it! She lays out how she built a sense of hope and resilience in her life, through a deeply moving and inspiring connection with two wild birds, whom she rescued, raised by hand and then released back into the wild. What I loved about the book is how the author opened up about her struggles in this new life and then shared how she found answers to the powerful feelings and thoughts that troubled her. It felt to me ultimately uplifting and positive, by acknowledging with great sensitivity, that basic human need for connection with other living things.
Some of the most powerful elements of her writing are when she connects to the world that she found herself living in and as a result I felt I could almost walk from the pages into the Ghanaian grasslands. I felt the heart and the power of the storms and how fragile life is. The writing depicting a powerful sense of place. She brings it to life, not just the violence of the storms, or the life and death of the animals who lived there, but the quiet, intense moments that led to her finding understanding within the whirring turbulence of her own mind. .
She doesn’t treat us to a rose tinted view of her life or of the natural world around her. It’s what makes the book so moving, because though its pages are filled with an instinctive love of the natural world, the moments of life and death struggle bring perspective to the writing and the story she is telling. It helped her and me the reader, find peace and acceptance in our own mortality.
We can learn so much from Hannah Bourne Taylor’s Fledgling! That really important things are found in our connection to the natural world around us. That the constant and modern obsession with things, with technology, can not bring us peace and pale into insignificance to the majesty and power of the natural world to heal us.
April 22, 2022
What a lovely read this is. A memoir about a time in the authors life that was irrevocably change by nature. Beautifully written and very descriptive; I was immersed in the surroundings she talks about in Ghana.
Briefly, after an enforced move to Ghana with her husband’s job Hannah finds herself struggling with her mental health. When a fledgling falls out of its nest Hannah decides to try to hand rear it, and the positive effect of this of her mental well-being is clear. She has a sense of purpose again. This little bird, and another later were so important to her.
This is a very open and honest tale of Hannah’s mental health struggles and how she felt that nature helped her. I’m sure everyone has heard how pets can help reduce stress levels well this was Hannah’s pet. My heart melted when the bird came to her for food and safety and I was bereft when it was time to release it. The prologue; I had tears. This is just a wonderful story and I recommend it to anyone who loves nature, anyone struggling with mental health issues and just anyone who loves a heartwarming read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Briefly, after an enforced move to Ghana with her husband’s job Hannah finds herself struggling with her mental health. When a fledgling falls out of its nest Hannah decides to try to hand rear it, and the positive effect of this of her mental well-being is clear. She has a sense of purpose again. This little bird, and another later were so important to her.
This is a very open and honest tale of Hannah’s mental health struggles and how she felt that nature helped her. I’m sure everyone has heard how pets can help reduce stress levels well this was Hannah’s pet. My heart melted when the bird came to her for food and safety and I was bereft when it was time to release it. The prologue; I had tears. This is just a wonderful story and I recommend it to anyone who loves nature, anyone struggling with mental health issues and just anyone who loves a heartwarming read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 1, 2025
This is a wonderful read if you love nature! You really get caught up in the world of Hannah as she describes her love affair with natures, that grows out of feeling disconnected and that is how she felt when she moved to Ghana where her husband was working.
She's really honest with the darker times she was going through at the time and how the time spent alone left her seeking out a connection with something, anything! And that turned out to be nature where she found herself noticing the wildlife around her, and helping the birds who needed her help.
Her love of swifts comes across so eloquently, as she finds herself more aware of their behaviour and it really does show the power of nature in the healing process, and how we can do our bit no matter how big or small. I found it to be a very inspiring book, showing you to notice the small moments in life as they really do make the biggest impact on our mental health - just taking time out to slow down a little and be more aware of what is going on around us. Highly recommended!
She's really honest with the darker times she was going through at the time and how the time spent alone left her seeking out a connection with something, anything! And that turned out to be nature where she found herself noticing the wildlife around her, and helping the birds who needed her help.
Her love of swifts comes across so eloquently, as she finds herself more aware of their behaviour and it really does show the power of nature in the healing process, and how we can do our bit no matter how big or small. I found it to be a very inspiring book, showing you to notice the small moments in life as they really do make the biggest impact on our mental health - just taking time out to slow down a little and be more aware of what is going on around us. Highly recommended!
November 18, 2023
Birthday book, presumably chosen because I like nature and have been travelling in Africa for work - all good so far. However, right from the start, I felt I was getting much less enjoyment from the reading than the author benefited from the writing of it. Rather than being fascinated by the minutiae of the wildlife observations, I found it frustrating, repetitive and indulgent. Hannah takes you on a journey through her mental health struggles and comes through it with a more positive tone. For this reason I have given it 2 stars instead of 1, because I believe she achieved what she intended and because it may make me slow down and look at animal behaviour in more detail when life seems to run too fast and too pressured.
April 21, 2022
I loved reading this book.
This is a true-life story of Hannah. She moves to Ghana with her husband for his work. But she finds herself struggling with living there and feels lonely and lost. Until a little bird comes into her life that she tries to help.
I really loved reading how the bird and another bird a few years later helped her as much as she helped them. It was lovely to read about nature and the wildlife in Ghana.
I also loved the way Hannah wrote and how she described things. It was just beautifully written.
This was just such a great read and I fell in love with this book and the hope that it brings
5 stars for me.
This is a true-life story of Hannah. She moves to Ghana with her husband for his work. But she finds herself struggling with living there and feels lonely and lost. Until a little bird comes into her life that she tries to help.
I really loved reading how the bird and another bird a few years later helped her as much as she helped them. It was lovely to read about nature and the wildlife in Ghana.
I also loved the way Hannah wrote and how she described things. It was just beautifully written.
This was just such a great read and I fell in love with this book and the hope that it brings
5 stars for me.
April 23, 2022
I couldn't put this book down, because of the honest and beautiful writing. I was completely drawn into it, feeling every one of Hannah's emotions as she completely bared her soul. My heart was often in my mouth as events played out, willing everything to be ok. I was fully transported to Ghana, a country I have never visited.
I shall think of Hannah and her experiences as I navigate the countryside in future. I have read a lot of nature memoirs over the last two years and this is one of my absolute favourites. You will love this book if you have a strong connection to nature or if you are drawn to stories by amazing women.
I shall think of Hannah and her experiences as I navigate the countryside in future. I have read a lot of nature memoirs over the last two years and this is one of my absolute favourites. You will love this book if you have a strong connection to nature or if you are drawn to stories by amazing women.
October 16, 2022
This is a very personal and honest story and you definitely need your tissues handy. I loved it. I have experienced the feeling of alienation that comes with moving to a new country with different seasons, flora and fauna, and this book reminds us of the power of nature to heal and connect us to what we need. It also reminded me of how incredibly cruel nature can be and there is a moment in the book that was so ghastly I couldn't quite believe what I was reading. I can only imagine the horror of living through that moment. I think Hannah was brave to share her story, and I very much enjoyed reading it (even if my copious tears may have suggested otherwise.)
January 18, 2024
I feel a kinship with Hannah that is hard to express. There were so many moments where I thought "oh my gosh, that's how I feel, she gets it too." I also found myself in isolation; when I came down with a chronic illness and found myself drifting away from friends and dreading the question "what do you do?" Then I started noticing the birds in a way that I have never noticed before, marvelling at the way wood pigeons swoop as they glide and noticing dunnocks, sparrows, gulls, ducks and harriers to name a few. I love getting caught in a sudden rain shower and feeling one with nature. This book encompasses so much of myself, even a little of the OCD, so that it is is like looking in a mirror.
February 22, 2024
At times I found it hard to relate to someone seemingly wasting away their days caring for bugs, and the almost bland factual descriptions of minute by minute daily life. But as the story went on, it was clear that the birds were helping her from an illness as much as she was saving their lives, and you can't help but appreciate the compassion and love towards the animals.
April 12, 2023
I have read many books on the natural world, but never has one expressed in such a poignant way the connectivity that is attainable between humanity and the 'wild'. This book is a superb read and an outstanding achievement. I wish 6 stars were possible.
September 4, 2023
A beautiful, and raw biography of the author's time in Ghana. The author is clearly a lovee of wildlife and you get a wonderful sense of their connection to the wild. At the same time there are heartbreaking moments too,
March 9, 2024
I have mixed feelings about this one… 3.5
August 15, 2024
A wonderful, beautiful, hopeful book that will knock you for six and have you laughing out loud and weeping like a baby.
June 18, 2025
Beautifully written.
July 9, 2025
A deeply engaging, thought-provoking book. A joy to read.
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