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A review by readingpenguin
Peregrine Spring: A Master Falconer's Extraordinary Life with Birds of Prey by Nancy Cowan
3.0
3.5 Stars
Earlier this month I read H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald, and because that is so fresh in my mind it's impossible not to compare the two. They are both memoirs about falconry, and they are both reasonably accessible to a non-falconer such as myself. But where H is for Hawk has a psychological journey and literary tone to it, Peregrine Spring reads a lot like a (well written, thoughtful) blog journaling the author's various experiences with many birds of prey throughout the years. It's...chattier. And the thing is, I think I liked it better and found it more relatable for that very reason. Your mileage may vary.
I think the portion of this book that I found the most interesting was the couple of cases where Cowan takes on a wild bird for rehabilitation with the goal of releasing back into the wild. She was fairly open about the pros and cons of rerelease, and she made me aware of flaws in the laws regarding these practices.
The only thing that held me back from a higher rating was the sheer number of birds being discussed--you as the reader don't get much time to know if love any particular bird before Cowan's relationship with it ends for one reason or another. I tend to like a slightly more personal story, but obviously that is a preference thing.
Earlier this month I read H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald, and because that is so fresh in my mind it's impossible not to compare the two. They are both memoirs about falconry, and they are both reasonably accessible to a non-falconer such as myself. But where H is for Hawk has a psychological journey and literary tone to it, Peregrine Spring reads a lot like a (well written, thoughtful) blog journaling the author's various experiences with many birds of prey throughout the years. It's...chattier. And the thing is, I think I liked it better and found it more relatable for that very reason. Your mileage may vary.
I think the portion of this book that I found the most interesting was the couple of cases where Cowan takes on a wild bird for rehabilitation with the goal of releasing back into the wild. She was fairly open about the pros and cons of rerelease, and she made me aware of flaws in the laws regarding these practices.
The only thing that held me back from a higher rating was the sheer number of birds being discussed--you as the reader don't get much time to know if love any particular bird before Cowan's relationship with it ends for one reason or another. I tend to like a slightly more personal story, but obviously that is a preference thing.