Reviews
This poetic memoir continues the work Williams began in Refuge ....Williams explores her mother's identity--woman, wife, mother, and Mormon--as she continues to honor her memory....A lyrical and elliptical meditation on women, nature, family, and history., "Williams displays a Whitmanesque embrace of the world and its contradictions... As the pages accumulate, her voice grows in majesty and power until it become a full-fledged aria."- San Francisco Chronicle "The writing of Terry Tempest Williams is brilliant, meditative, and full of surprises, wisdom, and wonder. She's one of those writers who changes peoples' lives by encouraging attention and a slow, patient awakening."-Anne Lamott, author of Imperfect Birds, Williams is the kind of writer who makes a reader feel that [her] voice might also, one day, be heard....She cancels out isolation: Connections are woven as you sit in your chair reading---between you and the place you live, between you and other readers, you and the writer. Without knowing how it happened, your sense of home is deepened., A beautiful, powerful, important book....Nothing I've ever read has done this to me. Is this what religious people feel when they pray, I wonder? ...Terry Tempest Williams has written something that has revealed me and affirmed me and changed me. In sharing her voice, she has summoned mine., "Williams displays a Whitmanesque embrace of the world and its contradictions....As the pages accumulate, her voice grows in majesty and power until it become a full-fledged aria."--- San Francisco Chronicle "Williams is the kind of writer who makes a reader feel that [her] voice might also, one day, be heard….She cancels out isolation: Connections are woven as you sit in your chair reading---between you and the place you live, between you and other readers, you and the writer. Without knowing how it happened, your sense of home is deepened."---Susan Salter Reynolds, The Daily Beast "Time, experience, and uncanny coincidence spiral through these pages…. When Women Were Birds is an extraordinary echo chamber in which lessons about voice---passed along from mother, to daughter, and now to us---will reverberate differently in each inner ear."--- The Seattle Times "In some ways When Women Were Birds functions as a detective story, an attempt to solve a mystery. But it's also a realization that often there are no answers…there's only the present."--- The Salt Lake Tribune "A lyrical, timeless book that rewards quiet, attentive reading---a rare thing."--- The Huffington Post "At some point I realized I was reading every page twice trying to memorize each insight, each bit of hard-won wisdom. Then I realized I could keep it on my bedside table and read it every night."---Pam Houston, author of Contents May Have Shifted, "Williams displays a Whitmanesque embrace of the world and its contradictions....As the pages accumulate, her voice grows in majesty and power until it become a full-fledged aria." -- San Francisco Chronicle "This poetic memoir continues the work Williams began in Refuge ....Williams explores her mother's identity--woman, wife, mother, and Mormon--as she continues to honor her memory....A lyrical and elliptical meditation on women, nature, family, and history." -- The Boston Globe "Williams is the kind of writer who makes a reader feel that [her] voice might also, one day, be heard....She cancels out isolation: Connections are woven as you sit in your chair reading---between you and the place you live, between you and other readers, you and the writer. Without knowing how it happened, your sense of home is deepened." -- Susan Salter Reynolds, The Daily Beast "Time, experience, and uncanny coincidence spiral through these pages.... When Women Were Birds is an extraordinary echo chamber in which lessons about voice--passed along from mother, to daughter, and now to us--will reverberate differently in each inner ear." -- The Seattle Times "A beautiful, powerful, important book....Nothing I've ever read has done this to me. Is this what religious people feel when they pray, I wonder? ...Terry Tempest Williams has written something that has revealed me and affirmed me and changed me. In sharing her voice, she has summoned mine." -- Rebecca Joines Schinsky, Book Riot "In some ways When Women Were Birds functions as a detective story, an attempt to solve a mystery. But it's also a realization that often there are no answers...there's only the present." -- The Salt Lake Tribune "A lyrical, timeless book that rewards quiet, attentive reading--a rare thing." -- The Huffington Post "At some point I realized I was reading every page twice trying to memorize each insight, each bit of hard-won wisdom. Then I realized I could keep it on my bedside table and read it every night." -- Pam Houston, author of Contents May Have Shifted, "Williams displays a Whitmanesque embrace of the world and its contradictions... As the pages accumulate, her voice grows in majesty and power until it become a full-fledged aria."- San Francisco Chronicle "The writing of Terry Tempest Williams is brilliant, meditative, and full of surprises, wisdom, and wonder. She's one of those writers who changes peoples' lives by encouraging attention and a slow, patient awakening."-Anne Lamott, author of Imperfect Birds, "Williams displays a Whitmanesque embrace of the world and its contradictions_ As the pages accumulate, her voice grows in majesty and power until it become a full-fledged aria."- San Francisco Chronicle "The writing of Terry Tempest Williams is brilliant, meditative, and full of surprises, wisdom, and wonder. She's one of those writers who changes peoples' lives by encouraging attention and a slow, patient awakening."-Anne Lamott, author of Imperfect Birds, In some ways When Women Were Birds functions as a detective story, an attempt to solve a mystery. But it's also a realization that often there are no answers...there's only the present., Williams displays a Whitmanesque embrace of the world and its contradictions....As the pages accumulate, her voice grows in majesty and power until it become a full-fledged aria., Time, experience, and uncanny coincidence spiral through these pages.... When Women Were Birds is an extraordinary echo chamber in which lessons about voice--passed along from mother, to daughter, and now to us--will reverberate differently in each inner ear., At some point I realized I was reading every page twice trying to memorize each insight, each bit of hard-won wisdom. Then I realized I could keep it on my bedside table and read it every night., "Williams displays a Whitmanesque embrace of the world and its contradictions....As the pages accumulate, her voice grows in majesty and power until it become a full-fledged aria."- San Francisco Chronicle "Williams is the kind of writer who makes a reader feel that [her] voice might also, one day, be heard….She cancels out isolation: Connections are woven as you sit in your chair reading---between you and the place you live, between you and other readers, you and the writer. Without knowing how it happened, your sense of home is deepened."-Susan Salter Reynolds, The Daily Beast "Time, experience, and uncanny coincidence spiral through these pages…. When Women Were Birds is an extraordinary echo chamber in which lessons about voice-passed along from mother, to daughter, and now to us-will reverberate differently in each inner ear."- The Seattle Times "A beautiful, powerful, important book….Nothing I've ever read has done this to me. Is this what religious people feel when they pray, I wonder? ...Terry Tempest Williams has written something that has revealed me and affirmed me and changed me. In sharing her voice, she has summoned mine." -Rebecca Joines Schinsky, Book Riot "In some ways When Women Were Birds functions as a detective story, an attempt to solve a mystery. But it's also a realization that often there are no answers…there's only the present."- The Salt Lake Tribune "A lyrical, timeless book that rewards quiet, attentive reading---a rare thing."- The Huffington Post "At some point I realized I was reading every page twice trying to memorize each insight, each bit of hard-won wisdom. Then I realized I could keep it on my bedside table and read it every night."-Pam Houston, author of Contents May Have Shifted, "Williams displays a Whitmanesque embrace of the world and its contradictions....As the pages accumulate, her voice grows in majesty and power until it become a full-fledged aria."- San Francisco Chronicle "This poetic memoir continues the work Williams began in Refuge ....Williams explores her mother's identity-woman, wife, mother, and Mormon-as she continues to honor her memory....A lyrical and elliptical meditation on women, nature, family, and history."- The Boston Globe "Williams is the kind of writer who makes a reader feel that [her] voice might also, one day, be heard….She cancels out isolation: Connections are woven as you sit in your chair reading---between you and the place you live, between you and other readers, you and the writer. Without knowing how it happened, your sense of home is deepened."-Susan Salter Reynolds, The Daily Beast "Time, experience, and uncanny coincidence spiral through these pages…. When Women Were Birds is an extraordinary echo chamber in which lessons about voice-passed along from mother, to daughter, and now to us-will reverberate differently in each inner ear."- The Seattle Times "A beautiful, powerful, important book….Nothing I've ever read has done this to me. Is this what religious people feel when they pray, I wonder? ...Terry Tempest Williams has written something that has revealed me and affirmed me and changed me. In sharing her voice, she has summoned mine." -Rebecca Joines Schinsky, Book Riot "In some ways When Women Were Birds functions as a detective story, an attempt to solve a mystery. But it's also a realization that often there are no answers…there's only the present."- The Salt Lake Tribune "A lyrical, timeless book that rewards quiet, attentive reading-a rare thing."- The Huffington Post "At some point I realized I was reading every page twice trying to memorize each insight, each bit of hard-won wisdom. Then I realized I could keep it on my bedside table and read it every night."-Pam Houston, author of Contents May Have Shifted
