The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
Copyright 2024, Knopf
Republished from the Canton Audubon Society newsletter by kind permission of Laura Doran and the Canton Audubon Society
Before I was half way through The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan, I had already begun composing a review in my head. That’s how much I wanted others to know about and read this book. Though I have long known that Tan is a well-respected and admired novelist, I had never read any of her books. But her new, non-fiction book about backyard birding intrigued me.
I enjoy reading about the birding experiences of others, be they Big Days, Big Years, birding vacations or newbie birders. But I never expected to enjoy reading about the backyard birds at one person’s home as much as I enjoyed this book. Tan’s observations from her dining table are entertaining and informative. They are dispensed with humor, compassion, and knowledge and I am amazed at how much I learned about even the most common birds that I thought I was very familiar with.
Tan does allow anthropomorphism into her journaling—this is not, after all, a scientific journal. But her journals do what scientific writing is supposed to do—ask more questions. I believe this window into her bird observations is making me a better observer of the birds at my feeders.
When Tan is watching birds, she is also drawing them. Every journal entry is accompanied by sketches and more detailed renditions. Her preferred medium is colored pencils, which I believe is an unusual choice for most wildlife artists. But in Amy Tan’s hands those pencils turn simple drawings into portraits of beauty and charm.
I borrowed The Backyard Bird Chronicles from the library but will be purchasing it soon. This is a book I will want to read often. I think you will too,