FEATHERHOOD A Memoir of Two Fathers and a Magpie

With his English accent and languid yet expressive voice, author/narrator Charlie Gilmour is charming company. His deep, abiding love for his family is obvious. He adores his wife, Yana--he sounds almost amazed by her--and he finds purpose and healing in caring for their accidental pet, a magpie they name Benzene (for the industrial site where they found the little chick). Although Gilmour describes his childhood as loving and safe, he carries emotional scars from his father, Heathcote Williams, who abandoned him as a baby and who rebuffed Gilmour's periodic efforts to build a relationship. Gilmour dives deep into Heathcote's childhood and failed marriages to face his own mental health challenges. In an odd synchronicity, Heathcote once adopted a jackdaw. In both word and performance, FEATHERHOOD is reflective, poetic, and full of wry bird moments. A.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2021]