Lift

This is a wonderful book - jammed with jaw-dropping honesty, lyrical beauty, and enough information about falconry to intrigue. Ms. O'Conner writes of her journey training a peregrine falcon, tying it backwards to her not-always-easy life. A history of abuse and poor choices haunt her, and yet - as she supposedly "trains" her falcon - it's clear the training is a two-way street. Ms. O'Conner trains the falcon how to hunt, and yet the two seemingly train each other how to trust. Of the two, the latter is far more important, and by the end of the book, I was almost cheering for the pair. It's good enough that I'm left wondering how the two fare today. Bravo, Rebecca.

Some people seek to understand themselves through art, Rebecca K. O'Connor gains her understanding through falconry. "Lift" is a memoir from O'Connor reflecting on her training in the relatively unknown art of falconry. Drawing parallels from her practice to how it has helped her understand life, she gives readers a simple and quaint look at the world from above. "Lift" is a fine pick that is well worth considering.

I didn't want to read this book. Having an interest in raptors, the front cover caught my eye while walking through the local library, but the back cover quotes brought to mind a book that was perhaps more in the vein of "Chick Lit", a genre I typically side step. Plus, I had just finished "One Man's Owl", a memoir about a captive raised Great Horned Owl, and had a book about Red Taileds cued up for sometime in the future. Enough bird books. A couple of days later, while waiting out a red light in downtown SLC, a peregrine powered across the intersection and landed on a nearby cell phone tower. I'm not an "omen" guy, but the visual did bring "Lift" to mind (BTW - it was a wild bird, probably migrating through). The library copy had since been checked out, so hoping for more falconry, less "emo", I ordered it up. It was a great read on a lot of different levels. The plentiful falconry details, such as species differences, flying weights, legalities, lures and transmitters, training strategies, etc., all came within the flow of the storyline, as opposed to dry recitation. The author, Rebecca O'Connor, did a nice job of not being overly elementary, while not excluding anyone either. There was, however, a lot more going on in "Lift" than bird X's and O's. The real surprise was the strength of the underlying themes and how they worked to make this book just plain ol' good literature - for any reader of either sex. The major themes have been brought up in other reviews. I'll add dealing with uncertainty and the disappearing western landscape. Hopefully Whitewater hasn't become a memory in the rear view mirror. From a pure style standpoint, I loved how she didn't overwrite this nugget sized book, and let the story come together in a very natural, unforced way. The pacing was excellent. For those looking for an example of brave writing and engaging story telling, you'll find it in "Lift". Read the book. To Rebecca (who knows, maybe writers check these reviews...): In the chapter about flying your Aussie Gos, I thought "OK, this is where she breaks out the crystals and loses me". Nope, didn't happen. Maybe the barefoot approach will be worth a try on nest surveys next spring here in the Utah desert!

Rebecca's book grabs the reader and pulls them into the moment so that they feel like they are there as Anakin takes to the skies. Rebecca has a tight prose, omitting what the reader already knows and focusing on the things that sharpen the moment, similar to Hemingway. She has three story lines in this memoir....One about training a peregrine to hunt, one about her relationship with her mother and finally, one about a romance. These three story lines move in and out of the book like the plot to a Star Wars movie. Rebecca's courage is noteworthy...both in how she handles her personal life and also, in how she writes. This book will keep you rapt. My interest is parrots and I have read several of Rebecca's books on parrots. I am especially interested in the science of flying these animals. There is a BIG difference between flying a Peregrine and flying a parrot. I especially enjoyed Rebecca's description of how a balloon can be used to target train a raptor. I definitely recommend this book. It is a fast and absorbing read.

In Lift, Rebecca O'Connor intertwines stories of the mother who left her and then returns, a grandfather who lovingly guides her, men who do not always accept her strength and intuition, and the Peregrine falcon who teaches her some of life's most enduring lessons. By the time you finish this book, you'll come to love both the feisty Ms. O'Connor and her avian companions Anakin and Ty, and you'll be touched by what she gains and what she gives up. O'Connor has lived a fascinating and singular life... and she writes about it with great good humor, searing honesty, and a writing style that is original, lyrical, breathtaking. I began this book on a Sunday morning, couldn't put it down until I'd finished later that day. I knew nothing of falconry before I started reading this --if anything, I felt a vague distaste for it. Now I understand its power, both visceral and metaphoric, and how the sport honors the hunter and the hunted, nature and our place in it. If you've appreciated memoirs by Mary Karr or Jeannette Walls, if you enjoy beautiful prose about the natural world, if you have an interest in birds, even if you fit into none of the above categories...do not miss this book. I read several books a week and this easily made it onto my "best of the year" list. I give it my highest recommendation, and hope that Ms. O'Connor (who is so wise and talented despite being so young) writes a companion volume that covers her years as a professional bird trainer and further explores her journey to becoming a master falconer.