Alfie and Me

What Owls Know, What Humans Believe

Carl Safina

$53.95

Hardback

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English

Norton
06 November 2023

Memoirs; Mathematics & Sciences; Wildlife: birds & birdwatching; Birds, including cage birds, as pets

When ecologist Carl Safina and his wife, Patricia, took in a near-death baby owl, they expected that, like other wild orphans they'd rescued, she'd be a temporary presence. But Alfie's feathers were not growing correctly, requiring prolonged care. As Alfie grew and gained strength, she became a part of the family, joining a menagerie of dogs and chickens and making a home for herself in the backyard. Carl and Patricia began to realize that the healing was mutual; Alfie had been braided into their world, and was now pulling them into hers.

Alfie & Me is the story of the remarkable impact this little owl would have on their lives. The continuing bond of trust following her freedom-and her raising of her own wild brood-coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a year in which Carl and Patricia were forced to spend time at home without the normal obligations of work and travel. Witnessing all the fine details of their feathered friend's life offered Carl and Patricia a view of existence from Alfie's perspective.

One can travel the world and go nowhere; one can be stuck keeping the faith at home and discover a new world. Safina's relationship with an owl made him want to better understand how people have viewed humanity's relationship with nature across cultures and throughout history. Interwoven with Safina's keen observations, insight, and reflections, Alfie & Me is a work of profound beauties and magical timing harbored within one upended year.

By: Carl Safina
Imprint: Norton
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 239mm, Width: 163mm, Spine: 33mm
Weight: 705g
ISBN: 9781324065463
ISBN 10: 132406546X
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 06 November 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Carl Safina, author of Becoming Wild and Beyond Words, is the recipient of MacArthur, Guggenheim, and National Science Foundation fellowships, and has written for the New York Times, Time, Guardian, and National Geographic. He lives on Long Island, New York.

Reviews for Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe

"""Carl Safina has written a book of great wisdom and beauty, full of drama and insight. How right to choose an owl, symbol of learning, to help us see anew the twinned truths of compassion and connection—gifts our kind desperately needs to keep our world al"" -- Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus ""The rescue of a little screech owl brings Carl Safina the unexpected joy of companionship and propagation of the species, leading him to philosophize about humanity and how much we’re part of nature. A delightful read!"" -- Frans de Waal, author of Different ""This is a book about a foundling owl, and infinitely more. As it turns out, the universe and all its mysteries, our relationship with our wild kin and a better future for ourselves and the planet—all are reflected through the prism of an eight-inch ball of feathers named Alfie. Carl Safina has never been more eloquent, or more urgent. Alfie & Me is masterful."" -- Scott Weidensaul, author of A World on the Wing ""Carl Safina has written a book of great wisdom and beauty, full of drama and insight. How right to choose an owl, symbol of learning, to help us see anew the twinned truths of compassion and connection—gifts our kind desperately needs to keep our world al"" -- Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus ""The rescue of a little screech owl brings Carl Safina the unexpected joy of companionship and propagation of the species, leading him to philosophize about humanity and how much we’re part of nature. A delightful read!"" -- Frans de Waal, author of Different ""This is a book about a foundling owl, and infinitely more. As it turns out, the universe and all its mysteries, our relationship with our wild kin and a better future for ourselves and the planet—all are reflected through the prism of an eight-inch ball of feathers named Alfie. Carl Safina has never been more eloquent, or more urgent. Alfie & Me is masterful."" -- Scott Weidensaul, author of A World on the Wing"