When Women Were Birds: Fifty-four Variations on Voice

By: Terry Tempest Williams

Narrated by: Terry Tempest Williams

Length: 4 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

The beloved author of Refuge returns with a work that explodes and startles, illuminates and celebrates.

Terry Tempest Williams's mother told her: "I am leaving you all my journals, but you must promise me you won't look at them until after I'm gone."

Fans of Williams's iconic and unconventional memoir, Refuge, well remember that mother. She was a member of a large Mormon clan in northern Utah who developed cancer as a result of the nuclear testing in nearby Nevada. It was a shock to Williams to discover that her mother had kept journals. But not as much of a shock as what she found when the time came to read them.

They were exactly where she said they would be: three shelves of beautiful cloth-bound books.... "I opened the first journal. It was empty. I opened the second journal. It was empty. I opened the third. It too was empty.... Shelf after shelf after shelf, all of my mother's journals were blank."

What did Williams's mother mean by that? In 54 chapters that unfold like a series of yoga poses, each with its own logic and beauty, Williams creates a lyrical and caring meditation of the mystery of her mother's journals. When Women Were Birds is a kaleidoscope that keeps turning around the question "What does it mean to have a voice?"

©2012 Terry Tempest Williams (P)2012 Wind Over The Earth

Life Changing

Soul Inspection... Life Changing... One of my top 10 books. Thanks Mrs. Williams. Peace!

Deeply personal account

A complex compelling account of Tempest relationship w her mother Particularly beautiful description of opera and myths

Beautiful story

This is a beautiful, beautiful story and her reading. It was amazing. Thank you so much!

stunning

deep and raw and beautiful, this book will make you think and feel and weep

Wonderful story read by its author.

I am glad that I was introduced to Terry Tempest Williams in this book. It is a wonderful book about womanhood in the Mormon community of Utah. How does a woman communicate when her religious tradition insists that she remain silent? How does this religious tradition live out in the relationship that Mormons have with the land? It helps that the book is read by its author, as her inflection is important in giving you a sense of her true feelings. That is as valuable as the words themselves.

Beautiful

I will listen to this book over and over. It reflects the tapestry of women's lives.

Extraordinary. Deep. Soulful. Amazing. Lyrical

Absolutely adore this book. The reading was perfection. A must for readers and writers.

A discovery.

There are many topics and issues in this work, still, unexpectedly, it came together as a complete whole.
'When Women Were Birds' is part memoir, part natural history writing, part clear-eyed social commentary, and all poetry.
The writer does a very fine job of narrating her own writing, which adds dimension to the listening experience. Enjoyable to listen to, and gives much food for contemplation.

Crowing or singing the praises

I was aware of the author, but had not followed up on recommendations to read. I regret that I waited so long to read/hear this book. Amazing insights, provocative style, such sense of place. I heartily recommend this book of mostly short chapters or meditations.

So Rich and Moving

Diana Simonton

A masterful tapestry of the fullness of life. This touched my heart deeply and brought to me remembrances of my own life story in so many areas. I will be listening to this again soon.