The Hawk's Way: Encounters with Fierce Beauty
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- Create Date：2022-05-18 11:21:43
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Sy Montgomery
- ISBN：1797141465
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Summary
A splendid and luminous celebration of one of nature’s most perfect and mysterious creatures—the hawk—from the New York Times bestselling author of the “astoundingly beautiful” （NPR） The Soul of an Octopus。
When Sy Montgomery went to spend a day at falconer Nancy Cowan’s farm， home to a dozen magnificent birds of prey， it was the start of a deep love affair。 Nancy allowed her to work with Jazz， a feisty， four-year-old， female Harris’s hawk with a wingspan of more than four feet。 Not a pet， Jazz was a fierce predator with talons that could pierce skin and bone and yet， she was willing to work with a human to hunt。 From the first moment Jazz swept down from a tree and landed on Sy’s leather gloved fist， Sy fell under the hawk’s magnetic spell。
Over the next few years， Sy spent more time with these magnificent creatures， getting to know their extraordinary abilities and instincts。 They are deeply emotional animals， quick to show anger and frustration， and can hold a grudge for years。 But they are also loyal and intensely aware of their surroundings。 In this mesmerizing account， featuring sixteen pages of gorgeous color photographs， Sy passionately and vividly reveals the wonderous world of hawks and what they can teach us about nature， life， and love。
When Sy Montgomery went to spend a day at falconer Nancy Cowan’s farm， home to a dozen magnificent birds of prey， it was the start of a deep love affair。 Nancy allowed her to work with Jazz， a feisty， four-year-old， female Harris’s hawk with a wingspan of more than four feet。 Not a pet， Jazz was a fierce predator with talons that could pierce skin and bone and yet， she was willing to work with a human to hunt。 From the first moment Jazz swept down from a tree and landed on Sy’s leather gloved fist， Sy fell under the hawk’s magnetic spell。
Over the next few years， Sy spent more time with these magnificent creatures， getting to know their extraordinary abilities and instincts。 They are deeply emotional animals， quick to show anger and frustration， and can hold a grudge for years。 But they are also loyal and intensely aware of their surroundings。 In this mesmerizing account， featuring sixteen pages of gorgeous color photographs， Sy passionately and vividly reveals the wonderous world of hawks and what they can teach us about nature， life， and love。
Reviews
Susan Tunis
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I consider myself an animal lover， but compared to me， Sy Montgomery is St。 Francis of Assisi！ She is amazing！ Now， birds are no octopuses， and they don't hold the same place in my heart， but I have to admit that both the hawks and the Montgomerys were were fascinating creatures！ This is a quick， one-sitting read， but it's a pure delight！ I consider myself an animal lover， but compared to me， Sy Montgomery is St。 Francis of Assisi！ She is amazing！ Now， birds are no octopuses， and they don't hold the same place in my heart， but I have to admit that both the hawks and the Montgomerys were were fascinating creatures！ This is a quick， one-sitting read， but it's a pure delight！ 。。。more
Amanda Hupe
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Thank you， Sy Montgomery， NetGalley， and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book！ It was released on May 3rd， 2022。“Our fellow animals teach us lessons about the delights of sameness and difference。 They immerse us in wonder。 They lead us to humilty; they inspire us to reverence。 They teach us the many facets of love。”THE HAWK’S WAYThe Hawk’s Way by Sy Montgomery is a book I would have shared with my Dad。 My Dad’s favorite bird was a hawk。 He would get so excited whenever he would see Thank you， Sy Montgomery， NetGalley， and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book！ It was released on May 3rd， 2022。“Our fellow animals teach us lessons about the delights of sameness and difference。 They immerse us in wonder。 They lead us to humilty; they inspire us to reverence。 They teach us the many facets of love。”THE HAWK’S WAYThe Hawk’s Way by Sy Montgomery is a book I would have shared with my Dad。 My Dad’s favorite bird was a hawk。 He would get so excited whenever he would see one。 In fact， after he passed， we found an index card that my Dad wrote some notes about some local hawks。 He wrote about how many were flying together， their flight patterns， and which direction they were flying in。 He admired them。 Now， whenever I see one， he just feels near。When I saw that Sy Montgomery wrote this book， I knew I needed to read it。 She wrote one of my favorite nature books， The Soul of an Octopus。 Sy Montgomery has a beautiful connection with animals of all kinds。 When she studies an animal， she puts all of her passion into it。 That is the same for hawks。 While hawks are not animals that can be kept as pets。 They are intelligent but much more instinctual。 The author often refers to hawks as dinosaurs。 They are birds of prey， also called raptors。I loved learning about these birds。 While this book is only 90 pages， it is short and sweet。 It also made me a little sad because these creatures require large amounts of territory in order to survive。 The area where my family lives are being developed at an alarming speed and I do fear that it won’t be long before hawks are a rarity in our area。 I rate this selection 5 out of 5 stars。 。。。more
Beth
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Really a 3。75Short， evocative tale of the author's work with hawks。 From almost the first moment Montgomery met a Harris's hawk named Jazz， she felt the bond of partnership between bird and human。 In this slim volume， she recalls that first encounter and her later apprenticeship in learning falconry。 She helps us feel the excitement of working with these powerful and dangerous birds and notes how she was changed by her experience。Beautiful photographs accompany the text。 Really a 3。75Short， evocative tale of the author's work with hawks。 From almost the first moment Montgomery met a Harris's hawk named Jazz， she felt the bond of partnership between bird and human。 In this slim volume， she recalls that first encounter and her later apprenticeship in learning falconry。 She helps us feel the excitement of working with these powerful and dangerous birds and notes how she was changed by her experience。Beautiful photographs accompany the text。 。。。more
Bookreporter。com Biography & Memoir
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Just about the only thing more marvelous than spending time in the great outdoors is reading Sy Montgomery’s writing about the natural world。 In dozens of books for adults and children， Montgomery effectively channels her curiosity， knowledge， and deep affection and respect for animals of all kinds。 In her latest book， THE HAWK’S WAY， she turns her attention to some of the most mysterious creatures of all: hawks and other raptors。In this slim volume， Montgomery spends time learning from people w Just about the only thing more marvelous than spending time in the great outdoors is reading Sy Montgomery’s writing about the natural world。 In dozens of books for adults and children， Montgomery effectively channels her curiosity， knowledge， and deep affection and respect for animals of all kinds。 In her latest book， THE HAWK’S WAY， she turns her attention to some of the most mysterious creatures of all: hawks and other raptors。In this slim volume， Montgomery spends time learning from people who have devoted their lives to working with raptors。 These falconers are masters of their craft， but even with their deep understanding and skill， they are still likely to walk away from any given interaction bloodied and battered。That is certainly one of the overarching themes of Montgomery’s writing about raptors。 Unlike the sort of human/animal tolerance or even affection we see in our own pets or in movies like My Octopus Teacher （Montgomery has also written extensively about octopuses）， hawks will never exhibit anything like fondness for humans， not even the ones they permit to be their hunting partners。 For Montgomery， this realization --- that one can love another living creature while letting go of the hope or expectation of any kind of reciprocation --- requires a pretty radical shift in mindset， but one that is not entirely unwelcome:“The ancient Greeks said there were four kinds of love… The highest form of love was called agape。 This is a love untainted by expectations， a love without external reward…。 In the Bible， agape came to stand for the love God has for His creation… Unlike all the other kinds of love， agape asks nothing in return。 This is what a hawk can teach you: how to love like a god。”In addition to comprehending what it means to love without reward， Montgomery --- as she spends more and more time with falconers and watches them hunt alongside their birds --- must contend with the bloodthirsty nature of falconry。 Montgomery， who is a vegetarian， has to reset her own ethical parameters， which becomes a struggle， especially when she is offered the opportunity to formally apprentice with a falconer。 I’ll let you read the book to learn if she decides to go through with it， but suffice it to say that her willingness to set aside her own ethical principles in order to hunt with a hawk further highlights the hawk’s wildness， its fundamental difference from humans。Like Montgomery’s THE HUMMINGBIRDS’ GIFT， THE HAWK’S WAY is an adaptation of a chapter from her much longer 2010 book， BIRDOLOGY。 Here she updates her text and adds a new introduction; the slim volume is also generously illustrated with color photographs of the birds and people whose stories fill its pages。 THE HAWK’S WAY is a perfect gift for the nature lovers in your life， and it’s the ideal size to tuck in your backpack the next time you head out for a hike into the majesty and mystery of nature。Reviewed by Norah Piehl 。。。more
Maya Bailey
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this book was cute and short- i love the way sy montgomery writes about animals bc you can really tell how connected she gets with them in order to understand them-i’ll be reading more sy montgomery books in the future for sure （4⭐️）
Dan Downing
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My feeling here is that Ms。 Montgomery has written---or rather， assembled--- a eulogy in tribute to the woman who trained her in the ways of raptors。 Wherever the goad came from the result is entertaining， educational and inspiring。If we had only the prose we would be well off。 But we also have photographs， beautiful， well-realized photographs of wondrous birds。 Birds in flight， birds on the arm， birds looking into our eyes。 Altogether this book is a kestral， or what one might call feisty---smal My feeling here is that Ms。 Montgomery has written---or rather， assembled--- a eulogy in tribute to the woman who trained her in the ways of raptors。 Wherever the goad came from the result is entertaining， educational and inspiring。If we had only the prose we would be well off。 But we also have photographs， beautiful， well-realized photographs of wondrous birds。 Birds in flight， birds on the arm， birds looking into our eyes。 Altogether this book is a kestral， or what one might call feisty---small and energic。Recommended。 。。。more
Erin
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I really hope that in my next life I’m a falconer。
Mary
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I enjoyed the “story” but it felt unfinished。 As it was originally a chapter in another book， it really didn’t stand alone well。 The pictures were beautiful and honestly， I purchased the book because of them。
Megan Tripaldi
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Any time hawks are referred to as ‘raptors’ my heart does a little dance。
Evelyn
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This is an extended essay describing the author’s encounters with hawks， and the joy that it brings her as she takes lessons in falconry。 Although it is presented mainly as anecdotes describing the author’s experiences intermixed with some facts and information on different species’ characteristics and behavior， and the sport of falconry， the essay attempts to create understanding and compassion for these often misunderstood creatures， and for the practice of falconry in which they play a critic This is an extended essay describing the author’s encounters with hawks， and the joy that it brings her as she takes lessons in falconry。 Although it is presented mainly as anecdotes describing the author’s experiences intermixed with some facts and information on different species’ characteristics and behavior， and the sport of falconry， the essay attempts to create understanding and compassion for these often misunderstood creatures， and for the practice of falconry in which they play a critical role。 。。。more
Tess
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I still want a pet hawk。
CJ
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I love Sy Montgomery's writing and introspection。 She reminds me to see the world for all its beauty and complexity。 I love Sy Montgomery's writing and introspection。 She reminds me to see the world for all its beauty and complexity。 。。。more
Stacey Lunsford
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Beautifully written， though slight， Montgomery gives us a glimpse into the sport of falconry。 Working with falconer Nancy Cowan， Montgomery learns the basics of partnering with wild raptors to hunt。 Hawks do not bond with humans in the manner of pets or even domesticated working animals。 They consent to cooperation in the activity the hawk craves above all others， hunting prey。Montgomery is a vegetarian and the bloodiness of hunting with falcons gives her some pause but the beauty and wildness o Beautifully written， though slight， Montgomery gives us a glimpse into the sport of falconry。 Working with falconer Nancy Cowan， Montgomery learns the basics of partnering with wild raptors to hunt。 Hawks do not bond with humans in the manner of pets or even domesticated working animals。 They consent to cooperation in the activity the hawk craves above all others， hunting prey。Montgomery is a vegetarian and the bloodiness of hunting with falcons gives her some pause but the beauty and wildness of a creature formed for that purpose overcomes her misgivings。 I would only wish that the book would have been longer。 I understand that Nancy Cowan passed away in January of 2022 so I must assume that Montgomery didn't have the opportunity for more experiences with raptors。Recommended if you have enjoyed Montgomery's other books。 。。。more
Russell Fox
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This is the second of these short nature books by Sy Montgomery I've read， and like her hummingbird book， it was beautifully written， filled with fascinating details about the creatures she's focusing upon。 But once again， I find myself not particularly loving Montgomery's narrative voice or the story she tells us about her own involvement with the creatures she obviously is passionate about。 I can't fault her for feeling poetry in her soul as she watches a hawk hunt， but maybe she could dial it This is the second of these short nature books by Sy Montgomery I've read， and like her hummingbird book， it was beautifully written， filled with fascinating details about the creatures she's focusing upon。 But once again， I find myself not particularly loving Montgomery's narrative voice or the story she tells us about her own involvement with the creatures she obviously is passionate about。 I can't fault her for feeling poetry in her soul as she watches a hawk hunt， but maybe she could dial it down a little bit。 Find oneself identifying with a wild creature， and then worrying about but also glorifying in that identification， makes for an interesting approach， but a little of that goes a long way。 。。。more
Elizabeth Mellen
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Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this！ What a lovely and loving look into falconry。 It was surprising to me to see a vegetarian and lover of animals reconcile that with the love of these wild hunters。 I definitely wouldn’t be able to do it myself and I am not even a conservationist or vegetarian， but through the author’s eyes I could see the excitement and beauty of it all。 This was extremely short， but didn’t feel like it was lacking in any way， as the author’s decision onto w Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this！ What a lovely and loving look into falconry。 It was surprising to me to see a vegetarian and lover of animals reconcile that with the love of these wild hunters。 I definitely wouldn’t be able to do it myself and I am not even a conservationist or vegetarian， but through the author’s eyes I could see the excitement and beauty of it all。 This was extremely short， but didn’t feel like it was lacking in any way， as the author’s decision onto whether or not to pursue falconry more really decided the length and it was full of descriptions that felt like you were getting the whole story。 。。。more
Andrew Cutler
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Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this book。Interesting but short-I think it’s a republished chapter of an earlier book。Montgomery is a fine writer， but gets a little too mystical at times。 Her description of the relationship between hawk and falconer is illuminating and spot on。
Sarah
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I love the way Montgomery writes about animals。 In this very short book， she writes about both the hawk and its wild fierceness， and the unique relationship falconers have with the birds。 It's a very short read， but I loved the way it comes across how unlike humans， hawk's are with their incredible instincts。Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 I love the way Montgomery writes about animals。 In this very short book， she writes about both the hawk and its wild fierceness， and the unique relationship falconers have with the birds。 It's a very short read， but I loved the way it comes across how unlike humans， hawk's are with their incredible instincts。Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Rebecca
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Not really sure how to rate this。 I didn't really learn much about hawks or falconry from this book。 Read H Is For Hawk to get an interesting look at that。 This read like a highly emotional memoir about a vegetarian who isn't sure how she feels about falconry。 The writing is pretty， but I didn't learn anything about Agape love like this book promised I supposedly would。 I think it's time I admit to myself that I don't particularly care for Montgomery's overly sentimental way of writing about ani Not really sure how to rate this。 I didn't really learn much about hawks or falconry from this book。 Read H Is For Hawk to get an interesting look at that。 This read like a highly emotional memoir about a vegetarian who isn't sure how she feels about falconry。 The writing is pretty， but I didn't learn anything about Agape love like this book promised I supposedly would。 I think it's time I admit to myself that I don't particularly care for Montgomery's overly sentimental way of writing about animals。 。。。more
Foggygirl
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A brief but great informative read， while I really enjoy the authors writing I often find her style to be overly emotive and more about her than her subject。
Sue Goldberg
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With raptor enthusiasts in the family， I couldn't resist this book。 After reading and loving "Soul of an Octopus，" I also couldn't resist this author！ Sy Montgomery， through her heart， soul， and beautiful writing， transports the reader into the often perplexing mind of the hawk。 It is clear these birds touch her deeply。 I only wish the book had been longer！ With raptor enthusiasts in the family， I couldn't resist this book。 After reading and loving "Soul of an Octopus，" I also couldn't resist this author！ Sy Montgomery， through her heart， soul， and beautiful writing， transports the reader into the often perplexing mind of the hawk。 It is clear these birds touch her deeply。 I only wish the book had been longer！ 。。。more
Ruby
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“Hawks can teach us how to love like a god” SO grateful to NetGalley and the publisher who gave me the chance to read an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review！ Here it is！This short novella is a meandering tale about Sy's love of Hawks， she shares the history and biological info about various species but for the most part， this is a book about her own experience loving these magical birds。 （And they do seem kinda magical。） The author's perspective on working and hunting with hawk “Hawks can teach us how to love like a god” SO grateful to NetGalley and the publisher who gave me the chance to read an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review！ Here it is！This short novella is a meandering tale about Sy's love of Hawks， she shares the history and biological info about various species but for the most part， this is a book about her own experience loving these magical birds。 （And they do seem kinda magical。） The author's perspective on working and hunting with hawks， and training them by feeding them chunks of other birds while being a vegetarian was very interesting to me。 The issue of loving animals enough to not want to eat them， but supporting them in eating one another is tricky to think about but I think her exploration of the issue does it justice and certainly doesn't take over the narrative。 Overall this was a deeply respectful love letter to these birds， and a delight to read in just one sitting。 It has certainly sparked my interest in hawks and I'll be looking for some further reading。 I did find that there were some errors in my E-book， and several times I found myself stumbling over a sentence that was just a bit clunky， not what I expected after the lovely prose of Soul of an Octopus。 。。。more
Jessica
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This is a section from Sy Montegomery's book Birdology with an updated intro。 To be fully honest， I have read almost every book from Sy Montegomery ever since reading Soul of an Octopus - I love the author's writing voice and passion。 While writing about a predatory bird while being a vegetarian could make the book feel awkward， it instead illustrates the ways the animals cannot be forced into human contexts and morality。 This is a great short book that is a glimpse into falconry and hawks in ge This is a section from Sy Montegomery's book Birdology with an updated intro。 To be fully honest， I have read almost every book from Sy Montegomery ever since reading Soul of an Octopus - I love the author's writing voice and passion。 While writing about a predatory bird while being a vegetarian could make the book feel awkward， it instead illustrates the ways the animals cannot be forced into human contexts and morality。 This is a great short book that is a glimpse into falconry and hawks in general。 While I have read it before I still enjoyed the writing， and thoughtful treatment of these fascinating， but alien animals。 This is a great short story for those who think they might not like non-fiction， and for any animal lovers to learn more about hawks and falconry from one of the best animal writers。 It also reminds me and makes me want to read H is for Hawk to compare falconry/hawk writing。*Netgalley ARC* 。。。more
Sacha Yanulavich
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liberal white woman vegans are the most unintentionally hilarious people alive
Sharyn Berg
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There is no doubt that Sy Montgomery has a way with animals of every kind。 I learned a lot about hawks， and falconry， that I really had no clue about whatsoever。 Told through her own personal experiences， this short， easy read of a book was educational and eye opening and I am glad that I read it。 Thanks to NetGalley for the advance read copy。
Julie Stielstra
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Similar to her previous The Hummingbird's Gift， Montgomery has repackaged a chapter from her 2010 collection Birdology into a small， separate book。 I'm thinking the audience for this one might be a bit different。 I definitely wouldn't buy it for my elderly hummingbird-loving mother。In birdwatching， people tend to pick out certain groups of birds they especially love， study， seek out， and admire - or even get a little obsessed by。 For me， it's woodpeckers。 And sparrows。 And nice big wading birds Similar to her previous The Hummingbird's Gift， Montgomery has repackaged a chapter from her 2010 collection Birdology into a small， separate book。 I'm thinking the audience for this one might be a bit different。 I definitely wouldn't buy it for my elderly hummingbird-loving mother。In birdwatching， people tend to pick out certain groups of birds they especially love， study， seek out， and admire - or even get a little obsessed by。 For me， it's woodpeckers。 And sparrows。 And nice big wading birds that stand out there in the open and let me stare at them。 Some people go nuts for gulls， in their endless and subtle gradations of plumages; others wait all year for the spring warblers to cavort through the upper branches， where first you can't see them and then they disappear。 And for a lot of people， it's raptors: hawks， falcons， ospreys， eagles。 And among those are the falconers， the people who keep these mighty killing machines in sheds or pens， and escort them out on hunts with pocketfuls of dismembered pigeons or chicks to lure them back with。 Some birders say these folks have "gone over to the dark side。" One woman who had worked with a Red-Tailed Hawk for a year or so said to me， "It's like the most pathological of relationships: you adore， love， and serve that bird with all your heart， and they don't give a shit about you。" In this book， Montgomery explores this relationship （such as it is） through her fascinated， primal， bewildering desire to hunt with hawks。 Herself a vegetarian and thoughtful observer and lover of animals wild and domestic， she is utterly hooked by the untameable ferity of these birds: "I wanted to touch these birds’ fine， ancient wildness， this pure savagery bereft of evil。" She signs on for lessons with a local falconer， who reminds her: "“If you think in terms of rewards and punishments， you’re not thinking partnership。 They don’t serve us。 We serve them。” Another expert puts it this way: "You train a hawk to accept you as her servant。” Montgomery goes on to muse about this special kind of love she chooses to label agape: "For a human to love without expecting love in return is hugely liberating。 To leave the self out of love is like escaping the grip of gravity。 It is to grow wings。 It opens up the sky。" To which I would reply: does this selfless love include taking a wild bird out of its natural environment， shutting it up in a small building， wearing a hood that blinds it and jesses to tether it？ So that you may take it out at your pleasure， when you're sure it's hungry enough， in order to admire its killing power as a spectator？ When I can grow those same emotional wings under that same open sky while simply watching the iridescent sheen and graceful curves of a flock of ibis rising above a marsh？ "Oddly，" says Montgomery's mentor， "[some] birdwatchers consider [falconry] a form of slavery。" Um， yes。Hawks are glorious， beautiful， regal creatures， soaring overhead， perusing the horizon from a tree or a telephone pole， tilting and gliding over an open field on the hunt。 The book gives us a vivid look at several of them: their power， their speed， their incredible vision， their minds that are barely minds at all， they are such perfectly instinctual creatures。 They are also dangerous and unpredictable， even in the hands of a talented falconer - shrieking， flapping， biting， drawing blood and slashing tendon and bone。 Montgomery makes much of their tempers: they seem to evince much anger， fury， rage， violence。 But how do we know？ Are they naturally angry animals？ Or is it their captivity and the thwarting of their deep and irresistible natural urges and needs that make them so？ What troubles me most about the allure of raptors， especially in the form of falconry， is how easily it seems to rouse a bloodlust in the people around them。 Montgomery does struggle with this: "I’m sorry that Nancy has been bitten and I’m distressed that the woodcock has been killed， somehow， in the presence of these birds， blood and death are not repulsive。 I feel myself being drawn to a mind wholly unlike my own。 What is happening to me？" A chicken drumstick on her plate would make her feel sick; and ultimately， she decides not to acquire her own hawk - partly the demands of work and care， and partly because the hawk would unquestionably kill all her chickens， whom she loves （and does not eat）。 This book may make some readers uncomfortable， and perhaps that is its best value。 It stirs up ambivalence， and she is honest。 She suggests that hunting - done ethically - is preferable to the horrors of factory farming。 Hawks are hawks。 They have every right to be on this earth， and to make their living as hawks do。 What disturbs me is the way humans are driven to capture， possess， and control these wild creatures because of their killing power， their apparently violent characters， and their deadliness。 They may say they are the servant to the hawk， but it seems that the human's deliberately cultivated "servitude" is ultimately twisted into - yet again - the dominance of human over wild creature。* I thank NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review * 。。。more
Rachel
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