A SQUIRREL OF ONE'S OWN

by Douglas Fairbairn ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 23, 1971

For one who has not the redeeming remove of a naturalist, and takes a small wild creature into the home, there is one successful route to follow in chronicling the adventure, namely to keep animal and human motivation mutually exclusive as William Service did so amusingly in Owl (1969) and novelist Fairbairn does not. It is unsettling to witness an adult become helplessly dependent on the vagaries of an animal. With Elsa this is just bearable; with Fairbairn's squirrel it strikes us as somewhat silly. Fairbairn raised Chippy from infancy after a cat's paw rescue. He details the early and rewarding care and later escapades, but when Chippy turns ""mean,"" he suffers outer and inner wounds. Fairbairn attempts to return Chippy to the wild, but she limps back, Lassie fashion. Unusual and pleasant if you lower your sentimental threshold.

Pub Date: Sept. 23, 1971

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: McCall

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1971

Categories: NONFICTION