The Comfort of Crows

A Backyard Year

By: Margaret Renkl

Narrated by: Margaret Renkl

REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK

THE PERFECT AUDIOBOOK FOR NATURE LOVERS, BIRDERS, AND GARDENERS * USA TODAY BESTSELLER * NATIONAL BESTSELLER * AMAZON EDITOR’S PICK * INDIE NEXT PICK

From the beloved New York Times opinion writer and bestselling author of Late Migrations comes a “howling love letter to the world” (Ann Patchett): a luminous book that traces the passing of seasons, personal and natural.

In The Comfort of Crows, Margaret Renkl presents a literary devotional: fifty-two chapters that follow the creatures and plants in her backyard over the course of a year. As we move through the seasons—from a crow spied on New Year’s Day, its resourcefulness and sense of community setting a theme for the year, to the lingering bluebirds of December, revisiting the nest box they used in spring—what develops is a portrait of joy and grief: joy in the ongoing pleasures of the natural world, and grief over winters that end too soon and songbirds that grow fewer and fewer.

Along the way, we also glimpse the changing rhythms of a human life. Grown children, unexpectedly home during the pandemic, prepare to depart once more. Birdsong and night-blooming flowers evoke generations past. The city and the country where Renkl raised her family transform a little more with each passing day. And the natural world, now in visible flux, requires every ounce of hope and commitment from the author—and from us. For, as Renkl writes, “radiant things are bursting forth in the darkest places, in the smallest nooks and deepest cracks of the hidden world.”

The Comfort of Crows is a lovely and deeply moving book from a cherished observer of the natural world.

©2023 Margaret Renkl (P)2023 Spiegel & Grau by Spotify Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Slow down and sink into these beautiful meditations on the natural world around us. Margaret Renkl's syrupy Southern voice and measured rhythm are perfect for her essays and praise songs on everything from foxes to tadpoles to walking in the rainy woods.... Even as she acknowledges the devastations wrought by climate change and pesticides, the warmth and wonder in Renkl's voice offer hope. This audiobook is a welcome balm." (AudioFile)

“The Comfort of Crows is a howling love letter to the world, the story of what we’ve lost and what we can save and the abundance of wonder in our own backyard. Margaret Renkl is a singular, spectacular writer, and this book, like life itself, is a cause for celebration.”—Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House

“This triumph of a book gives us a charming and wise friend to guide us over the course of a year, but I am certain Margaret Renkl’s enchanting voice will echo for lifetimes to come. The Comfort of Crows is an instant classic, not just for the planet, but—and most importantly—for our hearts too.”—Aimee Nezhukumatathil, author of World of Wonders

“Renkl invites readers along on a year of loving outdoor observations in this gently moving memoir. . . . This gorgeous reflection on humanity’s symbiotic relationship with the outdoors will transform the way readers interact with their own backyards.”—Publishers Weekly

Reconsider Your Backyard

Pull out your rake and give your leaf-blower a rest. Tune in to the real world of your backyard. It’s incredible.

Better in print

The narrator’s voice could soothe a nervous cat. That said the narration put me sleep. I was initially drawn to the book’s flora and fauna theme which it did deliver very eloquently. I believe the hardcover included pictures.

Her way of seeing things

I liked all of it. It is beautifully written and narrated. I would recommend it to everyone.

Author’s love of nature

A bit too much detail in describing creatures in her yard and area. Sweet voice, but speaks so slowly

I love how she described her backyard animals in their natural habitat.

The book was long for talking about her backyard animals while in their natural habitat.