This could be a great title for so many books, but works surprisingly well for Luke Dempsey's memoir of the madness of birding. I'm a nature nut, and enjoy feeding and watching the local birds, marking each new bird with a shiny star sticker in my Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds. In winter's doldrums, I'll sit at a window with binoculars and watch the show, but the urge to hit the road for serious birding has never called me.
Luke gets the calling, with the help of his friends Don and Donna, who coordinate escapes from the city to bird watching hot spots across America. From the first pages, Luke's wry British humor shines through as he takes us along on his adventure. I could listen to a lovely British accent all day, and Luke's Bill Brysonesque witty, informative writing style make me feel the same way about his book. It is funny, educational (there are even bird pictures!) and has much to say about life as the quest to find birds helps the author find himself in the bargain.
I think I'll be putting my binoculars in the car just in case.......
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