Play Book Tag discussion

I completely enjoyed reading Providence of A Sparrow: Lessons from a Life Gone to the Birds by Chris Chester, both for the memoir and the education about sparrows. As a pet owner, I recognize that taking responsibility for another being often requires unforeseen sacrifices, so I found it amusing to see the extent that Chris Chester allowed a little foundling sparrow he named "B" took over his life and his home.

Here he tells the story of finding B:

My compassion having been hobbled by childhood memories of failed bird rescues, I almost decided to let B meet his fate without assistance from me. I remembered shoe boxes with plucked-up grass as padding, inappropriate offerings of bread and worms. The tiny, inevitable corpse come morning. Most of them we buried by our mulberry tree.

Because I'm averse to lice and all manner of pathogens and parasites with which wild birds are rumored to teem, I was really quite hesitant about picking B up. I belied for about a week at the age of six that I had parrot fever, a disease my father had mentioned in some forgotten context shortly before an encounter I had with a baby robin. My parents cleared up my misapprehension by pointing out that robins aren't parrots and that by my own admission I felt perfectly fine.

I remember my indecision clearly, am troubled by it. I could have chosen wrongly, and my life would have tacked in a different direction. I'd be unaware that a remarkable mind had died in my yard.

Chester, who deals with anxiety and was having a rough stretch in his life with personal losses, little "B" was a necessary tonic. Animal lovers everywhere recognize these healing qualities and it is heartening to see it in an increasingly wide variety of species.

I also loved the education about the intelligence of the sparrow. Bird brained is not really true as I learned when I read Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence—and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process by Irene Pepperberg.

All in all I found Providence of a Sparrow a remarkable book and enjoyed it greatly.

I really really wanted to read this for the animal tag, but it didn't come in ebook format. I am trying to get rid of books, not add them. But it sounds so good.

Anita wrote: "I really really wanted to read this for the animal tag, but it didn't come in ebook format. I am trying to get rid of books, not add them. But it sounds so good."

On one level I found it very amusing, because we have changed our lives so much for our cats and they give us great joy, but I congratulate myself that we are not at Chris Chester's animal disarray level,

Booknblues wrote: "Anita wrote: "I really really wanted to read this for the animal tag, but it didn't come in ebook format. I am trying to get rid of books, not add them. But it sounds so good."

On one level I foun..."

Ha ha! I'm sure I would love this . . .hope it comes out for ebooks some day. Or I may have to drag myself to the library.

I haven't been able to get this one. I don't want to own it, but neither of my libraries have it, yet. I put in a request. It sounds good.

Anita and Judith, I'd be glad to send my copy on and you could pass it around. Let me know. I bought it used from Amazon, but I don't need to keep another book in my small house.

That would be great with me! thank you! Happy to get it and then ship to JGrace, or vice versa . . .

Anita wrote: "That would be great with me! thank you! Happy to get it and then ship to JGrace, or vice versa . . ."

Sounds good.