*

I had to travel a bit for a doctor’s appointment last week (I’m fine) but it gave me the chance to visit a used bookstore I used to frequent- and I did some damage. I bought 10 books, but Featherhood by Charlie Gilmour was the first one I picked up because a) a memoir b) it’s weird and c) it’s blurbed by Neil Gaiman like are you kidding me with this?! Featherhood is a RIDE, y’all. It follows Gilmour on his journey in becoming the caretaker of an abandoned magpie, which brings to the surface (not so buried) issues like his abandonment by his biological father. His mother points out that his father, too, once took in a wild bird - and from there, Gilmour begins to explore the past as he seeks to understand his father and reconcile his feelings about fatherhood as he contemplates beginning a family of his own. As someone who is estranged from my father, I really appreciated the way Gilmour explored the complex feelings and lack of closure that adult children have to grapple with. I found this story super compelling (I’m fascinated by the ways that children’s lives unexpectedly mirror that of their parents). If you like memoir, or you’re looking to try something from the genre, I think this is a great choice. PS @daciandthebooks coined the term manmoirs and I can’t stop laughing/thinking about it so this is your reminder to sign up for her newsletter Screentime & Despair if you haven’t already. TW: mental illness, drug use, drug psychosis, incarceration, suicide attempts via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CKl2_IYrdu1/