George A Magpie Memoir

Right there by the toe of my boot, next to the blade of my spade and camouflaged by the leaves on the ground, was magpie chick. It squatted belligerently, peering up at me with magpie fury.

When Frieda Hughes moved to the depths of the Welsh countryside, she was expecting to take on a few projects: planting a garden, painting, and writing her poetry column for THE TIMES. 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 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.