Beyond Fiction Book Club - George: A Magpie Memoir by Frieda Hughes

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Program Type:

Books & Authors

Age Group:

Adults
  • Registration is required for this event.
  • Registration will close on May 18, 2026 @ 7:00pm.

Program Description

Event Details

Join us to discuss this month's Beyond Fiction Book Club selection, George: A Magpie Memoir by Frieda Hughes. Books will be available to check out at the Adult Help Desk beginning April 27.  If you need help acquiring a book, please reach out to Jill Morino at jmorino@wauclib.org.  

We look forward to reading and discussing with you!

 

“Poignant and funny…a passionate book about unconditional love and commitment.” —The Washington Post  “Captivating.” —Associated Press  “Rich with imagery…It’s impossible not to be smitten.” —Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

From poet and painter Frieda Hughes, an intimate, charming, and humorous memoir recounting her experience rescuing and raising an abandoned baby magpie in the Welsh countryside.

When Frieda Hughes moved to a ramshackle estate in the wilds of Wales, she was expecting to take on a few projects: planting a garden, painting, writing her poetry column for The Times (London), and possibly even breathing new life into her ailing marriage. But instead, she found herself rescuing a baby magpie, the sole survivor of a nest destroyed in a storm—and embarking on an obsession that would change the course of her life.

As the magpie, George, grows from a shrieking scrap of feathers and bones into an intelligent, unruly companion, Frieda finds herself captivated—and apprehensive of what will happen when the time comes to finally set him free.

With irresistible humor and heart, Frieda invites us along on her unlikely journey toward joy and connection in the wake of sadness and loss; a journey that began with saving a tiny wild creature and ended with her being saved in return.

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801 N. Main Street, Wauconda, IL 60084
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