PositiveThe Sydney Morning Herald (AUS)... a series of love letters to the animal world. Orlean’s curiosity is boundless, as she explores the fascinating diversity and beauty, as well as the endearing peculiarities of a range of creatures. But love can be complicated. The real subject of this book is human animals, and their often warped and whacky interactions with other species ... Orlean is never judgmental, but her humour can be disquieting ... These tales will have the reader chuckling at the strangeness of our own species’ bond with animals. But they also leave us on the verge of tears, with the heartachingly cruel and incredulous ways that many humans relate to the natural world ... Despite her meticulous research and astonishing prose, a kind of doubling tends to occur in Orlean’s writing. Her own turkeys are a \'delight\' as they peck at the window and demand a hug, but she will happily eat (someone else’s) turkey at Thanksgiving ... Too often, she observes animals for the sake of a story, even when they are being harmed and exploited as commodities for the exotic wildlife trade or sedated for canned trophy hunting. She stands aside, rather than choosing to stand up for animal rights. Nonetheless, in her essays, Orlean leads us through a hall of animal mirrors. When we glimpse a reflection of ourselves, what stares back at us can be pretty ugly.
