A Summer of Birds: John James Audubon at Oakley House

Danny Heitman writes with keen observations on the beauty of nature, Audubon's sometimes contradictory motivations as man and artist and a page in Louisiana history as seen through his subject's eyes. The book is expertly written and rich in historical detail. Heitman's enthusiasm for his subject, and his love of his native Louisiana, is evident on every page.

Nicely written delineation of Audubon's preparation of his great work. Expresses the family and financial problems involved.

First, let me declare openly that I am a biased reviewer. I was a classmate of Danny Heitman (the author) in high school and learned to love his story-telling and writing skills many years ago. I follow Heitman's columns and essays with interest because he always finds a way to seize me. I knew that would the case with this book, and I was not disappointed. Although I am a native of Louisiana, I must confess that I've never examined the life of Audobon nor his oeuvre. Nor am I a birder. I am simply someone who loves history and stories. Heitman tells an interesting story, and tells it well. Using the nominally episodic setting of one summer in the forests of Oakley, Heitman weaves the story of Audobon's life, dreams, and ambitions, and you leave this book with a grasp of who Audobon really was. I may never read another book about Audobon, but I know him now. You'll find this a quick and satisfying read, by a writer who deserves the opportunity to tell us more interesting stories in the years to come.

What a refreshing and delightful read. Exquisitely detailed, I felt as if I were in the woods of St Francisville, Louisiana observing the birds myself.I love the way Heitman took liberty with the time line as he wove together past and future events in Audubon's life that supported the current points in each chapter. I also appreciated how adeptly he intertwined the account with modern metaphors --reading the book was like ascending that beautiful spiral staircase to the Oakley House gallery. This author has a gifted ability to observe and write that make this a delightful read, not only for the Audubon fan but for the general reader. Kudos! I do hope there are ideas for future books in development by this talented author.