Coming to terms with his mother’s death was challenging for Charlie: the grief went on to trigger other emotions, including anxiety and the black dog of depression.

12 Birds to Save Your Life - Penguin Books UK

No longer the leading role in his own private melodrama, but merely a minor part in nature's great epic. Last week saw the paperback publication of Charlie Corbett’s touching memoir, 12 Birds To Save Your Life. Recognising his perspective on life was slipping following his mother's untimely death, Charlie turned to the rhythms of the natural world for comfort and solace - in particular its birds. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience – the local community. In a moment of despair, he found himself – somewhat damp – lying on the side of a lonely hill staring up at a leaden sky, a melancholy drizzle seeping into his bones.Through twelve characterful birds, Charlie show us that there is joy to be found in the very smallest of events – if we know where to look, and how to listen. Suddenly he hears the song of a single skylark - that soaring, tinkling, joyous sound - and he is transported away from the drizzle and dark thoughts. In a moment of despair, he found himself - somewhat damp - lying on the side of a lonely hill staring up at a leaden sky, a melancholy drizzle seeping into his bones. I think most of us suffer from it,’ he argued, ‘it’s part of the cycle, part of the human condition.

12 Birds To Save Your Life | White Rose Book Cafe 12 Birds To Save Your Life | White Rose Book Cafe

It was a sudden and shocking demise for someone he loved dearly and in its aftermath, he struggled to cope. It’s a connection with nature that has been loosening ever since the Industrial Revolution, Charlie suggested. Suddenly he hears the song of a single skylark – that soaring, tinkling, joyous sound – and he is transported away from the drizzle and dark thoughts.We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The soaring, rolling, cascading music rippling through the air above me was like an injection of neat hope to the soul,’ Charlie remembers in the book’s opening chapter. And at the same time, we have also lost our ability to talk about death and dying to the point it can feel a taboo subject. We celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories, traditions and living cultures; and we pay our respects to Elders past and present.