The Snow Geese

WINNER OF THE HAWTHORNDEN PRIZE

SHORTLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE

SUNDAY TIMES YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR

One winter, after an enforced period of quiet, William Fiennes finds himself restless and yearning for adventure. Inspired by his reading about the migratory patterns of birds, he flies to Texas to find the million-strong flocks of snow geese and to follow them on their spring flight thousands of miles north to breeding grounds on the Arctic tundra. This mesmerizing book, already a classic, captures their journey with wisdom, humility and endless curiosity. It is a meditation on freedom of movement, on seeing the world anew, and on the joy of returning – indefinably changed.

‘Why are we drawn to birds, to landscape, to nature? It is for the sense of wonder – and in capturing that sense of wonder, Fiennes reminds us how desperately we all need it’ Sunday Telegraph

‘The Snow Geese moved me as have few other recent books. No one who reads it is likely to continue to look at the world in the same way’ Times Literary Supplement

‘A beautifully solitary and beautifully reflective book’ Evening Standard

‘The descriptions of the geese and their environment are jaw-droppingly beautiful. But Fiennes’ most remarkable talent is for describing the quotidian with such freshness that it is like seeing the world for the first time’ Mail on Sunday

‘An inspired work of natural history and travel. A classic’ Irish Independent