Grief Is the Thing With Feathers Signed Independent Bookshop Edition

This Independent Bookshop Exclusive Edition marks ten years of a contemporary classic, featuring unseen artwork throughout and a cover based on a facsimile of the author's own first edition.

In a London flat, two young boys face the unbearable sadness of their mother’s sudden death. Their father, a Ted Hughes scholar and scruffy romantic, imagines a future of well-meaning visitors and emptiness. In this moment of despair they are visited by Crow – antagonist, trickster, healer, babysitter. This sentimental bird is drawn to the grieving family and threatens to stay until they no longer need him. As weeks turn to months and the pain of loss gives way to memories, the little unit of three starts to heal.

Max Porter’s extraordinary debut – part novella, part polyphonic fable, part essay on grief – marked the arrival of a thrilling new literary talent. This stunning hardback replicates the author’s personal first edition to celebrate ten years of a contemporary classic.