NamedbyForbesasoneofthe12BestBooksAboutBirdsandBirdingin2017Afterstumblinguponabookofphotographsdepictingextinctanimals,B.J.Hollarsbecamefascinatedbythecreaturesthatarenolongerwithus;specifically,extinctNorthAmericanbirds.How,hewondered,couldwepreservesobeautifullyonfilmwhatwe’vefailedtopreserveinlife?Andsobeginshisyearlongjourneytofindout,onethatleadshimfrombogstoartmuseums,fromarchivestoChristmasCounts,untilheatlastcomesasclosetoextinctbirdsasheeverwillduringabehind-the-scenesvisitattheChicagoFieldMuseum.Heartbrokenbythebirdswe’velost,Hollarstakesrefugeinthosethatremain.Armedwithbinoculars,afieldguide,andknowledgeablefriends,hebeginshistransitionfrombuddingbirdertoenvironmentallyconsciouscitizen,afirststeponalongerjourneytowardunderstandingthetruetragedyofabird’ssongsilencedforever.Toldwithcharmandwit,FlockTogetherisaremarkablememoirthatshowshow“knowing“thenaturalworld--evenjustasmallpart--illuminateswhatitmeanstobeaglobalcitizenandhowonlybyembracingourecologicalresponsibilitiesdoweeverbecomefullyhuman.Amovingelegytobirdswe’velost,Hollars’sexplorationofwhatwecanlearnfromextinctspecieswillresonateinthemindsofreaderslongbeyondthefinalpage.Purchasetheaudioedition.WatchabooktrailerforHollars’sbook,MidwesternStrange.
