If I had never seen Janet Bonney reenact the mouth-to-beak resuscitation of her hen #7, which had been frozen solid in a snow storm, then was thawed and nursed back to life, then was hand-fed and massaged and encouraged to watch doctor shows on TV, I might never have become a chicken person.
An animal lover and staff writer for the New Yorker, Susan Orleans is uniquely poised to enlighten and entertain her readers with her gift for humorously understated astonishment. This collection of journalistic essays and memoirs will take you beyond dogs who, even though they break your heart, fill it up even when they’re gone. Not being a dog person, I would not have bothered to listen if she dwelled there. Instead, we meet domesticated lions and tigers, and a team of oxen toiling in a Cuban field where they are valued more than tractors. We learn about the rabbit industry, taxidermy, and the regulations protecting animal actors. From the barnyard to the racing-pigeon coop, from military mules to donkey taxis, from captive baby pandas to the real-life saga of Free Willy, this book will take you behind the bars to explore the aptitudes and attitudes that make each of these animals uniquely loveable and valued by the humans who keep them.
A good read for travelers, these memorable stories are suitable for any age. 256 pages or 10 hours on Audible, read by the author, 2021.