The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What were your overall impressions of The Comfort of Crows? What did you like most about the book? What did you like least?

2. How does Renkl’s writing compare to that of similar environmental writing by other authors, such as Robin Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. The Comfort of Crows is structured around the four seasons. Which of the book’s seasonal sections resonated most with you and why?

2. How do the ideas Renkl presents in the book relate to your own experiences of local environmentalism?

3. Explore the extent to which you share Renkl’s experiences of observing life through the kitchen window. Do you ever similarly observe the natural world?

4. What kind of world does The Comfort of Crows depict? How does Renkl portray modern American society?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Explore how The Comfort of Crows depicts the destruction of local habitats and the effect this has on local ecosystems.

2. How does Renkl use the setting of suburban Nashville to illustrate the problems facing the environment in modern America? To what extent do Renkl’s themes and ideas resonate with the world outside the US?

3. How does Renkl frame the issue of environmentalism as an individual challenge? How does she present it as a societal challenge?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The book is structured as one weekly essay, separated into four seasons. How does this structure support Renkl’s themes of change and mortality?

2. Renkl’s family exists on the periphery of the narrative. How did her fleeting references to Haywood, their sons, and her and Haywood’s parents affect your impression of Renkl herself?

3. In what ways does The Comfort of Crows capture the tone and mood of suburban Nashville?

4. How does Renkl use the motif of crows to introduce ideas relating to ecology and preservation?

5. Parenting is a recurring idea throughout the book. How does Renkl interpret parenting in the natural world to guide her through her own life?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine Renkl continuing the book through another year. How might her world change?

2. Imagine yourself in Renkl’s position, observing the world through the windows of your home. What kind of ecosystems and creatures can you see? What will you document?

3. Renkl describes many ways that she positively affects the natural world. Discuss how you might implement ecologically conscientious gardening or household practices in your home.