Flock Together: A Love Affair with Extinct Birds

Named by Forbes as one of the 12 Best Books About Birds and Birding in 2017

After stumbling upon a book of photographs depicting extinct animals, B.J. Hollars became fascinated by the creatures that are no longer with us; specifically, extinct North American birds.

How, he wondered, could we preserve so beautifully on film what we've failed to preserve in life?

And so begins his yearlong journey to find out, one that leads him from bogs to art museums, from archives to Christmas Counts, until he at last comes as close to extinct birds as he ever will during a behind-the-scenes visit at the Chicago Field Museum.

Heartbroken by the birds we've lost, Hollars takes refuge in those that remain. Armed with binoculars, a field guide, and knowledgeable friends, he begins his transition from budding birder to environmentally conscious citizen, a first step on a longer journey toward understanding the true tragedy of a bird's song silenced forever.

Told with charm and wit, Flock Together is a remarkable memoir that shows how "knowing" the natural world--even just a small part--illuminates what it means to be a global citizen and how only by embracing our ecological responsibilities do we ever become fully human. A moving elegy to birds we've lost, Hollars's exploration of what we can learn from extinct species will resonate in the minds of readers long beyond the final page.

Purchase the audio edition.

Watch a book trailer for Hollars's book, Midwestern Strange.

Author: B. J. Hollars
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Published: 02/01/2017
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.93lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.80w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9780803296428

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 12/01/2016

About the Author
B.J. Hollars is an assistant professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He is the author of numerous books, including This Is Only a Test, From the Mouths of Dogs: What Our Pets Teach Us about Life, Death, and Being Human (Nebraska, 2015), and Thirteen Loops: Race, Violence, and the Last Lynching in America.