Vesper Flights is a collection of essays by Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk. Macdonald has a keen eye for observation and writes about birds and nature in a way that is original, fully her own, always giving the reader a unique perspective and a new way of seeing the world.

However, I am always left feeling slightly unsettled by her writing. Macdonald refers to herself an “amateur gothic naturalist” which in and of itself is interesting, but the darkness at the heart of her writing can be disturbing; her own struggles with depression feel apparent on every page.

Although I found this collection of nature essays well written, original and for the most part fascinating, they didn’t always flow well together and I can’t say I fully enjoyed this book.