Dear Reader,
If you don’t know anything about glove training an eagle, An Eagle Named Freedom, a memoir, is a good place to learn a little bit about it, because author Jeff Guidry shares interesting anecdotes about his and Freedom’s, learning process. This gives the reader an appreciation for all people who work with and teach the public about raptors. If you want to read passionate writing about an amazing bird and its relationship with a volunteer, this book won’t disappoint you.
Guidry states he wrote this book because his friends and others encouraged him to write the story of his healing relationship with Freedom. I would have advised him to write a lengthy magazine article instead of a book, because that way he wouldn’t have had to stumble and force setting details required to “fill out” the pages, which often came across as stilted. It’s clear he put a lot of thought and work into his writing, but it managed to be thin anyway. Even though Guidry is a private person, he still owes it to his readers to tell more: Why a bird sanctuary? What does he do for a living? Do other volunteers take Freedom on walks? What did he do in the music industry? Was he immediately receptive to his mentor’s spiritual take on wildlife? And so on.
Note: On page 60, Guidry beautifully describes “kettling,” when a group of birds–eagles, this case–gather to ride the thermals. Bravo!
Sincerely,
Faye Quam Heimerl
Letters From the Copyeditor 