{"id":276039,"date":"2025-06-06T00:40:45","date_gmt":"2025-06-06T00:40:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/entertainment\/books\/the-bird-thief-by-rachel-keating-the-federation-of-childrens-book-groups\/"},"modified":"2025-06-06T00:40:45","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T00:40:45","slug":"the-bird-thief-by-rachel-keating-the-federation-of-childrens-book-groups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=276039","title":{"rendered":"The Bird Thief by Rachel Keating \u2013 The Federation of Children’s Book Groups"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Author Rachel Keating shares a very personal blog with us today about her Grandad and the inspiration for The Bird Thief.<\/p>\n

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\u2018My favourite eldest Granddaughter.\u2019 Didn\u2019t matter if I was aged 6 or 36, if it was written on the back of a newspaper cutting about British songbirds sent in the post or spoken softly while wrapped in a big hug, that\u2019s how my Grandad would greet me. And every time it would get the same genuine laugh, \u2018because I\u2019m your only eldest granddaughter!\u2019 A fiercely affectionate man, his love for his family was just about the only thing that superseded his love for the natural world. He was so passionate about life on this planet it would have been impossible to not absorb it, and he instilled in me this same profound respect for nature.<\/p>\n

It would manifest as quiet moments in his insanely beautiful garden handing me a peppery nasturtium flower to eat, or showing me a spider\u2019s egg sac when moving the wheelbarrow, and it would also manifest as long and heartfelt rants about political failings or climate change or whale hunting or deforestation. Animals and their habitats were everything to him. The two of us shared a love of birds, goldfinches in particular, and his support and pride in my writing was as moving as it was motivational. Before he died a couple of years ago he gave me his treasured binoculars. Although not my only inspiration in writing The Bird Thief, I feel this connection to nature runs through my veins as much as the blood cells, DNA and chocolate that flows there.<\/p>\n

Woodland is my happy place, and while the inspiration of the forest can be clearly seen in The Bird Thief, being outdoors and experiencing the elements is so galvansing to the actual process of writing too. This is something that I\u2019m sure most writers would agree with \u2013 no matter the setting of the story, there\u2019s nothing like getting up and outside to resolve a stubborn plot point or a character crisis.<\/p>\n

For me, being amongst trees and wildlife not only makes me feel comfortable in my own skin, which is kind of a rare feeling, it heightens all my senses and makes me feel exhilarated. It\u2019s no surprise that most of my ideas come in this environment.<\/p>\n

Conversely too, the natural world helps to calm me. The Cognitive Behavioural Therapy I received a few years ago for my OCD helped hugely, the practical exercises and the gradual exposure to my fears was monumental. My prescription also helps keep things balanced. However when I\u2019m tired or feeling stressed the intrusive thoughts and behaviours creep back in, I can feel them building and recognise them for what they are now \u2013 and I get outside! Walking in the woods on my own (always staying safe and usually with my four-legged companion!) strangely helps me to feel less alone. The birdsong, the ants, the berries, the ivy trailing up the trees. The mushrooms \u2013 visible fruits of the impressive underground mycorrhizal network which fascinates me\u2026 I feel how all the different species are connected, the ecosystems and the symbiosis of nature calms me. I think gaining that perspective helps me to get out of my own head when I need to!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Author Rachel Keating shares a very personal blog with us today about her Grandad and the inspiration for The Bird Thief. \u2018My favourite eldest Granddaughter.\u2019 Didn\u2019t matter if I was aged 6 or 36, if it was written on the back of a newspaper cutting about British songbirds sent in the post or spoken softly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":276040,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[3029,2268,352,3723,3724,65788,5568,5554],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-276039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","tag-bird","tag-book","tag-childrens","tag-federation","tag-groups","tag-keating","tag-rachel","tag-thief"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Bird Thief by Rachel Keating \u2013 The Federation of Children's Book Groups - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=276039\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Bird Thief by Rachel Keating \u2013 The Federation of Children's Book Groups - 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