Preview
  • The Comfort of Crows

  • A Backyard Year
  • By: Margaret Renkl
  • Narrated by: Margaret Renkl
  • Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (73 ratings)

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The Comfort of Crows

By: Margaret Renkl
Narrated by: Margaret Renkl
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Publisher's summary

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
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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

What listeners say about The Comfort of Crows

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  • Overall
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A book that resonates

Some books I am happy to borrow for the short term, this is one of those books that I am glad I have on audible so that I can return to it over and over. Margaret Renkl feels like a friend who shares my concerns about the changes of our neighborhoods and the nature that surrounds them.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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Just boring

Great perspective. The writer has some personal issues in each season but overall it’s boring.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Her way of seeing things

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

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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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.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Beautiful, yet Starkly Honest

A soothing narrative, despite the realistic depiction of the on-going and seemingly irrevocable mayhem we continue to perpetrate on our earth mother.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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Warm insights

Much in common with many late middle age women. Not a fan of any author reading they’re own work, but at least the accent helped set to mood.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A gorgeous book of essays and illustrations.

These essays, accompanied by exquisite illustrations by the author’s brother, contain beautifully worded descriptions of the author’s year in her natural backyard — of both flora and fauna. They are also moving reflections on the cycle of life — her own and her family’s, in addition to that of the natural world. She also beautifully articulates her grief over devastation from modern human encroachment and global warming.

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Sensitive and perceptive

Just filled with so much close attention to details. Brave stories of her own weeknesses and failures. Sad references to the coming catastrophe that is climate change. I loved every chapter. I’m sad to come to the end. I can think of so many people who I want to share this wonderful book with.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Her love of nature.

I loved the entire book. It was inspiring and will accompany my thoughts when I am bird watching in the nearby woods.

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