Customer Reviews

Crows in Our Hands

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"Crows in Our Hands" is a wonderful book for anybody with any interest whatsoever in crows, birds, or animal intelligence. It tells a story about a series of injured crows (each one with a distinct personality), brought to the author and his wife for care and eventual re-release into the wild. Not content to simply tell his story (or more accurately - to tell the crows' story), John Paul Barrett also fills the book with crow lore from myriad other sources: research, fiction, poetry, artworks, and firsthand accounts from crow lovers around the world.
J.P. and Tricia Barrett are not professional wildlife rehabilitators. Although Tricia worked at an animal clinic, neither of them had seen a crow up close until their neighbor brought what appeared to be "a fuzzy, scrawny little gray-black chicken" to their house to be rescued. Of course that "chicken" turned out to be a crow, and her arrival starts the Barretts on a series of interactions that would last over five years and a dozen crows, each with their own behaviors and mannerisms.
Although this book is written from a human's perspective, the stars are, of course, the crows. Paul lovingly writes about each crow's antics, such as the one who would steal a cigarette any chance she got - not to smoke, but to shred into little pieces. The crows are full of such intelligence and curiosity that it leads J.P. to ask: "How could it be illegal to save a crow's life, but legal to kill it?".
(It is important to stress at this time that none of these crows were kept as pets, nor does John Paul Barrett endorse keeping crows as pets. "Their" crows were free to come and go as they pleased, and the crows themselves decided when to leave for the wild. None of the crows were ever named: "No human names for a wild bird" Paul appropriately writes, and he stresses many times that if the reader were to find an injured crow, it should be taken to a wildlife rehabilitator.)
The 152-page book is well illustrated with dozens of photographs of the crows Paul and Tricia rescued, as well as having reproductions of several paintings of crows. It is a beautiful paperback volume, hand sewn and individually numbered by the author. (One of his other books is titled "How to Make a Book", and Mr. Barrett definitely knows what he is doing!)
The book is a loving chronicle of how Paul and Tricia's life was changed forever by the "black phantoms". It is a story appropriate for any age, and for anybody who enjoys true-life animal stories. Prepare to be amazed by - and to fall in love with (if you aren't already) - crows!

Having personally read all of Mr. Barrett's books, I believe I can state with all certainty that he is one of the Pacific Northwest's best writers.

I'm sure he'll forgive me for saying so. I sit at my desk, my view partially blocked by a fuzzy black cat, and I remember our long friendship and the waves of letters that washed back and forth between us. Half of that correspondence is spread across the floor - where is the other half?

Paul - you have my address, but I don't know how to get a hold of you - write soon!