Sy Montgomery writes books and documentaries about animals for both children and adults. In this book, Montgomery shares stories about some of her favorite creatures, including her family pets; an octopus in an aquarium; and creatures in their natural environment.
Sy Montgomery
Montgomery travels around the world to research her books, and has visited the cloud forests of Papua New Guinea; Mongolia's Gobi Desert; Amazon rivers; the Australian Outback; and much more. Every animal Montgomery got to know was a good creature - "a marvel and perfect in his or her own way" - and each one helped her become a better person.
Sy's love affair with animals began when she was a child and her family adopted a Scottish terrier named Molly. Young Sy wanted to be just like Molly,"Fierce. Feral. Unstoppable." The author relates anecdotes about Molly breaking her tether to chase rabbits; stealing black dress socks and shaking them to death; capturing soccer balls and killing them; and being saluted as she trotted by the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (though that might be because Molly was the General's canine).
A Scottish terrier
Sy was enraptured by Molly's "otherworldly powers" - the dog's enhanced abilities to hear, smell, and see in the dark. To learn more about these superpowers, little Sy intensely studied every inch of the canine, from her tongue to her anus - and daydreamed about running away with Molly, living in the woods, and learning the secrets of wild animals. Sy grew up to fulfill this ambition, and became a renowned naturalist and animal expert.
*****
Montgomery has studied animals of every description. For example, she made friends with three emus in the Australian Outback after, in her words, the first sight of them felt like a "shock stung the top of my head, like a laser bolt." To determine if emus were important dispersers of seeds, Montgomery spent her days searching for 'emu pies' and following the birds, who she named Black Head; Knackered Leg (for a leg injury); and Bald Throat (for a whitish patch on the neck).
An emu
'Black Head, Knackered Leg, and Bald Throat'
It took a while, but the huge flightless birds eventually accepted Montgomery's presence, allowing her to follow them and even sleep with them. The writer studied the emus for six months, and wept when it was time to return home, where she would miss the peace, joy, and satisfaction the birds had given her.
*****
Sy and her husband Howard Mansfield (the writer) live on a farm in Hancock, New Hampshire - perfect for raising animals. At a low point in Sy's life - when she was deeply depressed about the cancellation of a book deal and the loss of her father - Howard arranged for the adoption of a sick baby pig to cheer Sy up.
Sy Montgomery's husband, Howard Mansfield
The piglet, named Christopher Hogwood, needed warmth, love, and TLC - and caring for him helped Sy heal. Christopher loved to eat, play, snuggle, explore, and meet people, and he often broke out of his pen to visit the neighbors.....who would call Sy to retrieve him. Thus Christopher helped Sy make new friends, and gave her something to talk about at parties.
Christopher Hogwood when he was a young pig
Sy Montgomery with full grown Christopher Hogwood (750 pounds)
Christopher was soon joined by 'the ladies', a gaggle of black, sex-link hens gifted by Sy's friend. The chickens enjoyed being petted, picked up, and kissed on their combs.
Sy Montgomery and Howard Mansfield with 'the ladies'
Sy Montgomery feeding 'the ladies'
Sy Montgomery playing with one of her chickens
Then came Tess, a previously abused two-year-old black and white border collie - who liked to play with toys, catch frisbees, and go for hikes. Tess amazed Sy with her intelligence, strength, and agility.
Howard Mansfield with a border collie
A pet border collie
The menagerie at the farm attracted visitors from the entire neighborhood, especially two schoolgirls next door, who saved their lunches for Christopher, made him a 'pig spa' (for baths), and visited the farm every day - essentially becoming part of Sy and Howard's family. In essence, the domestic animals helped Sy (who's childless by choice) acquire a large extended family to love.
*****
Montgomery traveled to French Guiana in South America to meet the "Goliath birdeater", the largest tarantula on Earth, who has a leg span that can cover a person's face (think of the larval monster in the movie 'Alien' 😵☠ ).
A Goliath birdeater
In French Guiana, Sy fell in love with a tarantula called Clarabelle, who became the spider ambassador to a group of Guianan schoolchildren. The brave kids even consented to hold Clarabelle on their palms, and one little girl exclaimed, "Elle est belle, le monstre." (She is beautiful, the monster.)
[FYI: In graduate school I worked for an entomologist/arachnologist who whipped out a tarantula whenever he interviewed a new job applicant, just for fun. He probably lost a few prospective employees. 😁]
Sy Montgomery with a tarantula
Other animals Montgomery writes about in the book include:
- An ermine that, following its instincts, killed one of the farm's pet chickens (Sy was sad but doesn't hold a grudge).
- Tree kangaroos in Papua New Guinea - which required three days of arduous mountain hiking to reach.
- A giant Pacific octopus called Octavia, who lived in the New England Aquarium and liked to embrace Montgomery's arms with her tentacles.
An ermine
A tree kangaroo
Octavia the octopus
Sy Montgomery with Octavia the octopus
*****
When - at ripe old ages - Christopher (the pig) and Tess (the dog) died, Montgomery was so grief-stricken that she considered suicide. Sy's hair fell out, her gums bled, and her brain misfired, making it hard to remember words. Months later Tess came to Sy in a dream, showing her a new border collie to adopt. After considerable searching, on border collie rescue sites and at rescue facilities, a friend came up with the exact right dog. Sy's husband Howard took some convincing, but soon enough Sally - a female border collie who'd been seriously mistreated - came to the farm.
Sally was a handful! She dug holes in the lawn; constantly ate and rolled in other animals' poop; and ate any food she could reach - including Howard's crab cakes; a birthday cake; an entire box of oatmeal; lunches out of backpacks; and sandwiches on their way to a person's mouth. But Sally was also a fun playmate, an enthusiastic hiker, and an affectionate pooch. Sally loved to be kissed and brushed, and she made Sy "unspeakably happy."
After Sally passed away, Sy and Howard got a third border collie called Thurber, who's "so happy that he sings." Thurber is especially prone to howl along with morning radio; Bruce Springsteen; and the songs 'Say Something' and "Gracias a la Vida."
*****
In addition to talking about her animals, Montgomery includes snippets about her personal life - which wasn't always easy. In addition to suffering from repeated bouts of deep depression following the loss of people and animals, Montgomery had a fraught relationship with her parents.
According to Sy's aunt, her mother smothered and shook her repeatedly when she was a baby, because her crying "ruined mom's cocktail hour." Whatever happened, two-year-old Sy fell dangerously ill, and didn't play, talk, or grow for months. Sy's parents worked hard to make her well, and small Sy's love of animals (including Molly) helped her recover.
Montgomery's parents also rejected her as an adult, after she became a naturalist. They were disappointed that she didn't train for the army in college and adopt their lifestyle. Sy's parents kept a membership for her at both the 'Army Navy Town Club' and 'Army Navy Country Club' in Washington, D.C., hoping she'd meet a suitable military man. Instead, Sy married a middle-class, liberal Jewish writer.
A week after the wedding, Sy's wealthy, conservative Methodist father wrote her a letter in which he formally disowned her and compared her to "the serpent that did sting thy father's life" (a quote from Hamlet). Sy later (more or less) reconciled with her parents, but they never allowed her husband Howard into their home.
Nevertheless, in her acknowledgements Montgomery notes that, although she and her parents had many disagreements, "I always loved them. I know that, in their own way, they loved me, too." Sy notes that she wouldn't have wanted any other parents, because her folks made her the determined person she is.
At the end of the story, Montgomery lists the ten books that inspired her to write about the natural world, and the books she's penned for adults and children.
Because of the personal anecdotes, this book is probably suitable for ages 12 to adult (though small children would like the animal stories).
I enjoyed the book and recommend it to people interested in animals and nature.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Sy Montgomery), and the publisher (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) for a copy of the book.
Rating: 4 stars
