Customer Reviews

Flyaway: How A Wild Bird Rehabber Sought Adventure and Found Her Wings

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As soon as I began reading `Flyaway', I got that warm fuzzy feeling signaling that I was in for the kind of read that makes me chomp at the bit to get under the covers with my reading light for an all-nighter. When we read the first few pages of any good book, the mind automatically connects us to similar material that gave us the same pleasurable feeling.
To compare Suzie Gilbert's `Flyaway' to James Herriot's `All Creatures Great and Small' is not a stretch. Here, once again, as in Herriot's wonderful peek into the rustic life of an English vet, we are treated to an insider's view of the sacrifices, lessons, and rewards of a family whose life revolves around a parent who is not only caretaker to her children, but to a constant parade of needy beings of other species. In Gilbert's case, the creatures are winged, wild, and ownerless--grackles, crows, robins, owls, hawks, and vultures. They limp through Gilbert's door to be healed and coached back into the wild again.
For those of us animal lovers who have the natural sympathies but lack the time, place, patience, and slightly mad passion to engage ourselves this deeply with the natural world, this book is a must-read. In it, I was constantly reminded that the price of love (any kind of love) is steep--and sometimes paradoxically and painfully akin to cruelty. We must learn to let go of what we love the most when it is best to do so for the object of our devotion and for our own sanity.

What a remarkable book! I am a retired teacher and I have spent the last 6 years volunteering at the Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center. It has become my avocation. I have taken a lot of classes to learn about rehabing and I am now the Songbird leader and the person who takes animals out to schools, etc. to do presentations. I could relate to a lot of Suzie's experiences. Her book gave me SO MUCH to think about; a great philosophy and many good reasons to become a rehaber. She makes you cry, laugh and truly feel what she is feeling. She shares her family and all their adventures with wildlife. She shows how important it is to let go once in a while to get some rest and retain your sanity after tending to so many birds in need 24-7. Suzie has a way with words in this very well written book. I did not want it to end. I hope she writes another book soon.

Nancy Haydock

Ever wonder what happens to birds that get injured? Well this book will tell you about all the people across the country that devout countless hours seeing that these birds are given the chance to survive. Through this very personal account of one persons quest as a bird rehabber you will travel along on that path. Be prepared to learn, in detail what happens to birds of all kinds when they end up at a persons home that cares for them. This book sails along with a style that is hard to describe, one minute you are getting a detailed description on the various chemicals that can kill birds, followed a few pages later with Suzie explaining what life altering experience she had as a 16 year old while in boarding school. I found myself laughing out load one minute and a few minutes later having tears run down my cheeks while reading this book. I guarantee that you will learn something about birds, but this is not a text book, it's a personnel life story that just happens to be associated with birds.

Jack Doyle
President, Audubon Society of Lincoln City

I am a wildlife rehabilitator and Suzie's book gives a 'birds eye view' of what rehabilitating wildlife is all about. From the joy to the sadness and isolation, we've all been there at one time or another and her story expresses our work with honesty, humor and passion. Wildlife rehabilitators are unique people and after reading this book, you may still not understand what drives us but you'll see our dedication, commitment and fervent desire to do this work. Anyone who has an interest in wildlife will find this book a good read!

With its intimate descriptions of wild hawks, owls, crows, grackles, herons, geese, ducks, turkeys, pigeons, starlings and vultures (!) nurtured by the author, Flyaway will enthrall lovers of birds and other animals. But the book is also a riveting account of a woman's struggle to balance a grand obsession--fueled by fierce compassion and love--with the needs of her family. The book also addresses a profound question: How can you devote yourself to reducing suffering in the world, one creature at a time, when the suffering is essentially infinite in scope? This is an astonishing, beautifully written book, funny, heart-breaking and ultimately uplifting.

I learned a lot from this book. I never realized exactly what wildlife rehabbers are up against; and I am incensed that there is so little federal and state money to protect wildlife. What would our world be without birds, and furthermore, who wants to live in such a world anyways?

We learn that there are very few wildlife coroners in the US - she names the one in New York State, there may be others (I don't have the book in front of me to check). But it seems like a huge oversight on the nation's part. There are many other great injustices to wildlife, and a huge need to educate people about caring for wildlife so that people don't inadvertently harm animals whilst trying to help them. Some key pointers are provided in the book, when her children tell other children what they've been doing wrong. (PS - her kids are amazing!)

The author does a great job of explaining the ins and out of the rehabber life; so much so that any anger I have held towards rehabbers in my area who have constantly refused to come out to help wildlife has dissipated. I see that in most instances, they simply can't. There's no money. No time. No space. There's plenty of burn-out.

So, yes, do buy this book, you won't regret it as there is so much to learn. So why am I only giving it a 3-star? Two reasons: the writer's forced attempts at humour, which put my teeth on edge. She's not naturally funny, not in the least, and I wish she or her editor would have recognized that and just sliced out the grating attempts at comedy.

Also, the ending was very weak, so that it felt like the story was never properly wrapped up. In other words, what happens in the end? We're left with some clues, but no clear indication of what really happened in her life, or what her plans are for the future. The book does build in momentum from a rather slow start, so a weak ending is a let-down.

If you have never helped an injured animal or bird, nor felt the passion that drives those who do this kind of work on a day in/day out basis, you have the opportunity to learn what drives us. Wildlife rehabilitators are a breed apart, often so dedicated we retreat from the reality of friends and family. Suzie's book helps others learn, and reminds rehabbers as well, what it means to reach for the balance that is so necessary in this line of work. I whole-heartedly recommend that you read this inspiring story of hers.

I can't remember the last time I so carefully rationed my reading of a book, dreading that it would eventually come to an end. Flyaway is a remarkable window onto the crazy, wonderful, funny, sad, uplifting, depressing world we rehabbers inhabit. Suzie Gilbert serves as an inspiration to those who work to serve wildlife in need and also to anyone, young or old, who believes that, as humans, we have a moral duty to protect the natural world we all share.

Suzie Gilbert is a crazy bird lady. But she's a good kind of crazy. The kind of crazy that makes the world a better place, one small, precious life at a time.

Birds, even the most intimidating raptors, are among nature's most vulnerable of creatures. They break easily, and, if left injured in the wild, die easily.

With most injuries to wild birds coming, directly or indirectly, at the hands of their human neighbors -- from our buildings, our power lines, our cars, our lawn chemicals and the myriad of other ways we have of unwittingly destroying wildlife -- rehabbers like Suzie Gilbert pick up the slack for the rest of us. They work with no financial rewards and at considerable personal sacrifice, both material and psychological, to give these delicate creatures a fighting chance at a life that would have been otherwise lost.

Every life is precious. Every bird is special. And Suzie Gilbert's Flyaway is a window into one woman's determination that those platitudes be lived, not just uttered.

Highly recommended, especially if you're a crazy bird person.

From start to finish I loved this book! I laughed out loud at the author's witty & entertaining writing style. Her love of birds is a constant whether she is splintting the leg of a fledgling or watching the silly antics of a juvenile crow. She paints such a vivid portrait of the struggle to maintain balance of caring too much & being able to live a normal life. With the deluge of injured birds that keep finding their way into her life, she is a superhero in my book! After reading this book I have an even greater appreciation for all the beautiful birds & the rehabbers who struggle to help them. The "George" story was my personal favorite that made me laugh & cry. I would love to see another book by this talented writer!