Catalogue

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Title:	Moth Snowstorm, The
Authors:	McCarthy, Michael
Genre:	Non Fiction
Pages:	262
Year:	2016
Language:	English
Description:	The limited joy in Michael McCarthy's troubled Merseyside childhood came from his exposure to nature, so much so that it ultimately nudged him down the path of writing about it for a living. Now a veteran environmental journalist, he draws from his experience and awe of the natural world to conclude that to be fully human requires us to embrace the joy of nature. Weaving the personal and the political, and the destruction of the environment with the solace it offers, this engrossing book asks us to re-evaluate our relationship with nature. Sincere and moving, this is an ode to the planet, teeming with details of the natural world and with an unforgettable message.
Categories:	Non fiction, Environmental, Inspirational, Science & Technology, Social commentary/perspectives, 2019 Titles

Reviews

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By: NELS 044		2025-06-25 11:50:38

Varied ratings for this book - from 2.5. The style of writing (ie. journalistic) put some off, while others of us found it moving, and brought to mind our own joyful nature experiences, as well as the obvious reductions in our local insect and bird populations.

By: TAUR 035		2025-06-09 11:37:36

4 of our group never got into reading this book, but those that did found it hard going but interesting. Despite that there was much lively debate at the meeting, and we had obviously learnt quite a bit!

By: TEKUI 002		2025-04-30 10:12:45

We loved this book - the content, the language, and the poems included. The book made us look at the birds, plants and insects about us more closely - we have noticed so much more.

By: TEKUI 002		2025-04-14 09:49:30

Everybody just LOVED this book, it was dense and interesting. It certainly made me, and the others, look much more closely at the world around us.

By: DUNED 042		2024-02-29 10:25:05

We had mixed opinions about this book. The author's personal story was interesting and we learned new things about moths/insects and bird behaviour, BUT most of us found the language overblown.

By: PICT 002		2021-11-17 12:50:34

This book was enjoyed by almost all the readers. We had a lively discussion on many aspects of the story. A varied and in depth writing into many of the problems nature is facing.

By: MATAM 001		2021-03-22 12:45:38

This book had a rather lukewarm reception at first. Once we discussed the various parts that appealed to us individually, we realised it was worth the effort. We related the English experience of vanishing species to our N.Z situation. Parts of Michael McCarthy's writing was enjoyed for its lyricism. We agreed with his views on the place of nature in our lives.

By: NORTH 007		2020-10-20 11:23:49

Only one at the meeting unreservedly liked the book; the others feeling it was disjointed. However, later in discussion of other things, references to poetic phrases from the book would pop up. In terms of those who did like the writing, it was a beautiful guiding to look anew at things...the humble sparrow...who knew!!

By: DUNED 007		2019-11-13 10:17:43

This book is a well-written response to McCarthy's experiences over a long period from his childhood to the present day. Our group read 'H is for Hawk' recently which also demonstrated the author's close connection with nature, and in both cases this helped them deal with grief. Unfortunately only about five of our club read 'A Moth Snowstorm', but all found it compelling and captivating. With urbanisation the spiritual connection between Nature and our wellbeing is under threat. This wide-ranging book brings all this to life in a vivid and invigorating way.