Turning to Birds: Finding Peace and Connection Through Birdwatching

A lyrical and moving memoir-in-essays from award-winning actress Lili Taylor, about how birdwatching helped her to find peace and meaning in small moments. ‘By turns introspective, inquisitive, and funny, the book is a love letter to nature and the solace it can provide’ – The New Yorker During a much-needed break from her work as an actor, Lili Taylor sought silence and instead found the bustling, symphonic world of birds that had always existed around her. Since then, she has entered the world of birdwatching and kept a keen eye pressed to her binoculars in search of vivid stories that elevate the everyday, if you only look. Through a series of beautifully crafted essays, Taylor shares her intimate encounters with the birds that have captured her heart and imagination – from learning the virtue of patience from the Gambel’s quail in New Mexico to experiencing a moment of connection with the wonderfully strange woodcock in Ohio; from the exhilaration of witnessing a migratory flock from the top of the Empire State Building to the quiet joy of observing a nest of hatchlings in her own backyard. Through simply paying attention to birds, Lili has seen a parallel world that is wider and deeper, one of constant change and movement, full of life and the will to survive. In Turning to Birds, Taylor encourages mindfulness, inviting you to be present and fully engaged with the world around you. Her beautiful prose and thoughtful meditations on both the art we make and the art we discover around us create a sense of intimacy and wonder, inviting you to see the world through new eyes and to find joy in the most unexpected places. ‘You couldn’t ask for a more personal, accessible approach to the pastime we all love’ – Christian Cooper, author of Better Living Through Birding