Providence of a Sparrow: Lessons from a Life Gone to the Birds

I came across this book by complete chance- I didn't even know it existed until I found it staring me in the face from an endcap at the local bookstore. I was quite suprised that someone had written a book about raising house sparrows. I found my first house sparrow when I was 12 years old, and then raise 2 more that had been abandoned. My experience with the birds was strikingly similar to Mr. Chester's. He does a wonderful job in illustrating the fact that dogs and cats aren't the only animals that can be intelligent pets with personality. Most people seem to think that anyone who dotes upon a bird is a bit wierd, after all "it's only a bird." "Only", indeed. Be aware that this book is a memoir, not a textbook. Mr. Chester does talk about himself. A lot. That's what people do in memoirs. But he certainly does include a wealth of information about sparrows in general, and his bird in particular. The reviewers who claim otherwise did not read the book (and admitted this themselves.) The book is about not just a bird and not just a man, but also the relationship between them and how this relationship made the man's life infinitely richer. "Providence of a Sparrow" shows that even "pests" and "junk birds" (as house sparrows are commonly called) have value. I hope that people who have never had a relationship with one of these birds enjoy the book as much as I did.

I find it rather interesting that the only two 'poor' reviews of this book come from folks who haven't read it. Attempting to evaluate this book by reading 1-2 chapters or thumbing through a chapter here 'n there is as rediculous as their reviews are. This is a wonderful story which can't help but touch your heart. Even if you're not a bird enthusiast, the writing within these pages is eloquent and filled with great little tidbits of information. This was a book which I kept in my car to read during the many 'waiting for' events involved with life. It was a wonderful escape and allowed the ability to pick up where I left off when needed. I actually regret having finished it because it provided a wonderful, light world to walk in to. Anyone who's ever been touched by a 'bird encounter'(and I don't mean the hindside), can relate to the extent which the author and his wife went to in caring for their birds. Thank you for sharing B's world with the rest of us...

The factual inaccuracies by Jack Crenshaw in his review of this book cry out for correction. I am a retired Lutheran minister, and I have read this wise and lovely memoir twice. Once for myself and once to my wife who is legally blind. I can say in no uncertain terms that Chester is NOT an atheist -- militant or otherwise. In fact, near the end of the book, he specifically refers to himself as agnostic. Nor does he ever say or even imply that people who attend church are, in Mr. Crenshaw's words, "misguided idiots." Chester does take issue with religion being "pitched" like any other commodity. As he puts it when referring to slogans on a sign in a church parking lot near his home, "It would appear that institutions charged with maintaining the intangibles of spirit and morality feel they can no longer rely on either the depth or beauty of their core beliefs in order to remain competitive, resort instead to the expedient of vacuous catch phrases tarting up their parking lots." This sounds to me like a defense of religion, not a condemnation of it. I must also address the previous reviewer's assertion that this book contains no information about birds. Had Mr. Crenshaw actually read the book through, which by his own admission he did not, he would have found a wealth of information about birds in general and about house sparrows in particular. And yes, there is a good bit about Chester's life, but why shouldn't there be? "Providence of a Sparrow" is, after all, the story of a deep and tender relationship which develops between a man and a sparrow. The book couldn't very well be a tale of a relationship unless both of the principal players were described. I sincerely believe that Chester does this in a balanced and thoughtful way. By the end of the book, I felt that I knew man and bird as well as I know my closest friends. But perhaps Mr. Crenshaw's most troubling inaccuracy is his suggestion that Chester doesn't love birds. Anyone who comes away from this book with that impression doesn't, in my opinion, know what love is. Perhaps a blurb on the inside cover by George Archibald, cofounder of the International Crane Foundation, says it best: "Chester is a role model to be emulated by others who work with birds . . . His extraordinary sensitivity to a few common captive house sparrows reveals how much we humans can learn about the needs and actions of our feathered friends. The book is a delight."

I bought this book on a lark. Typically when I do such things I go unrewarded. I am pleased to say that that this time I was rewarded. Chester is a great writer who is loony about birds, or maybe just cuckoo. Regardless, the story is very genuine and presented in a non-sappy manner which is much appreciated in our world of over-produced drivel. Whether or not you lovebirds I recommend that you swiftly go out and buy this book. Unless you are a solitaire old curmudgeon I think that you will read this and then go crowing to all of your friends about how good it is. Now excuse me while I creep back into my hole.

Don't be deceived by the title. This would be a gem of a book even if it WERE only about the author's life-altering relationship with a house sparrow. Fortunately, "Providence" is so much more, and ultimately so much more satisfying, as it roams with humor, poetry, candor and intelligence over many aspects of the author's life--his marriage, childhood memories, his struggle with depression, the death of his father, his philosophy about life and the afterlife, and so on. I alternately laughed out loud, cried, and nodded knowingly--sometimes within the space of a single page; I read passages aloud to my wife, who found it equally hilarious, poignant and profound. Chester's word choices are often unexpected--exquisitely so--and the cadence of his prose is captivating. "Providence" is, simply put, one of the best books I've ever had the pleasure of reading.