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Looking Up

A Birder's Guide to Hope Through Grief

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

ECPA Top Shelf Book Cover Award

"Look at the birds"

Through the painful days of the pandemic stuck in her home, Courtney Ellis found herself looking down in despair. Soon after, her beloved grandfather died unexpectedly.

It was around this same time that Ellis took up watching birds. "Took up" might not be exactly right—as she puts it, "the switch flipped," and she's been borderline obsessed with birds ever since.

Looking Up is a meditation on birding as a practice of hope. Weaving together stories from her own life, including the death of her grandfather, with reflections on birds of many kinds, Ellis invites us to open our eyes to the goodness of God both in the natural world and in our own lives. By "looking up" to the birds, Ellis found the beauty and wonder of these creatures calling her out of her darkness into the light and hope of God's promises.

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    • Booklist

      April 1, 2024
      "The world is afire with the goodness of God, if only we would look up." Pastor, enthusiastic birder, and author Ellis (Present: The Gift of Being All In, Right Where You Are, 2023) writes of one year in her life, beginning with her grandfather's impending death in Wisconsin, where she's from, on the heels of the pandemic, and her difficult trip there from her California home amid her busy preparations for Holy Week. Drawing similarities between birding and communing with God, she describes her fascination with birds, which centers her themes of grief, death, ministry, hope, rest, and peace. Taking a sabbatical to rest and mourn, she finds comfort and healing from her beloved birds (and includes birding resources for others moved to take up the practice). She shares educational snippets about birds and pearls of wisdom, sure to be copied down and dog-eared, as she relates her restorative journey, inspiring laughter, tears, and contemplation. Perfect for fans of faith writing by Madeline L'Engle and Anne Lamott, Ellis's exquisite book resounds with hope and birdsong.

      COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Languages

  • English

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