Occasionally someone mentions to me that I might be just a tad too enthusiastic about birds in general, and my bird in particular.
Who me?
Usually I promptly conclude that I have no idea what they could be talking about, after which I return to the enjoyable task of reading through the large stack of bird books on my “to read” list.
On the hit list this week was a much-mentioned classic, “An Eagle Named Freedom: My True Story of a Remarkable Friendship“.
The author, Jeff Guidry, met Freedom when she fell from her nest as an eaglet. Both wings were broken in several places and she was covered in lice and dangerously dehydrated by the time she was brought to Sarvey Wildlife Center where Jeff was a volunteer.
They took to one another instantly. The young eagle, whom they named Freedom, bonded to Jeff, and he took on a principal role with her training. Since she would never be able to fly, the Sarvey staff knew she could not be released back into the wild, so she joined their Education team and, accompanied by Jeff, visited Indian ceremonial festivals, children’s classrooms, and other outreach programs to educate others about wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. She and Jeff continue these activities to this day.
Later, Freedom would serve more immediately in Jeff’s life when he was diagnosed with cancer. The story of how they saved each others’ lives is a beautiful and compelling one – and Jeff writes in easy language and includes lots of beautiful pictures of Freedom in this lovely little book.
Praised by the likes of Dr. Irene Pepperberg (“Alex & Me“) and Stacey O’Brien (“Wesley the Owl“), “An Eagle Named Freedom” is a great choice for a quick and moving read. I promise. 🙂
