A gyrfalcon was carried by winter storms in northern Canada southward to British Columbia. Also called a snow falcon, it was a beautiful brown and cream colored bird with a wingspread of three feet. The falcon was shot by a hunter working for a taxidermist, but was found by Michael Somers who worked to rehabilitate her.Michael, recently released from prison, had just moved back to his hometown to work through some difficult childhood memories. His attractive next door neighbor had a traumatized son, Jamie, who had not spoken since his father died in a hunting accident. When Michael and Jamie work together training the falcon, a strong bond forms between them.The book is about trust, healing, and second chances for both the humans and the falcon. It would probably make an entertaining Hallmark movie. The book also had a good sense of place, a small town near Williams Lake and some beautiful mountains. My favorite parts of the book were the descriptions of the gyrfalcon, and the techniques used to rehabilitate her so she could eventually be released into the wild. It brought back memories of seeing some falcons presented by a woman who devoted her life to rehabilitating these gorgeous, powerful creatures.
When Michael Somers returns to the small town where he had a troubled upbringing, he is isolated and shunned. Through the unlikely catalysts of an injured falcon, and a derelict hardware store that once belonged to his father, Michael unwittingly becomes the focus for people who are struggling with their own lives. Pete Ellis is losing his wife, Rachel, and everything he does to try to rescue his marriage seems to backfire on him, while Susan, Michael’s neighbour, is trying to cope with her troubled son and her feelings for the town cop, who is in love with her. The harsh, but also beautiful snow-covered mountains of the Pacific Northwest where the story is set, reflects the characters themselves. They are neither all good nor all bad, but are capable of both.I was surprised at how captivated this book kept me. Some of the small town stuff couldn't relate to, but all in all, I really enjoyed it.
What do You think about The Snow Falcon (2012)?
Interesting book about an arctic gyrfalcon that drifts off course & ends up in Canada, the man who wants her dead because she'll bring him good money from a local taxidermist, the man who saves her who has demons of his own to wrestle with, a boy who hasn't spoken a word in the 18 months since he witnessed his Dad's death in a hunting accident, & how this one bird brings them all together. Right at first, it seems a bit disjointed when you hop from one person's perspective to the next, then you see how it all weaves together to create a very tightly knit community & the people in it...
—Lisa James
Amazingly writen from the perspective of the falcon. Each chapeter starts out with a description of what the falcon is experiencing. One of the characters is a man who is just relaeased from prison. You read a well thought out telling of the prejudices he experiences when he relocates to the rural town he grew up in. This man finds a friend in a young boy who cannot speak. They help the falcon recover from a gun shot wound and what you learn about falconary is amazing. An excellent read for those who want to learn new ideas!
—Linda
