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May 07, 2017JLMason rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Published in 1955, Last of the Curlews tells the inspiring but heartrending story about the extinction of a species that resonates today. Alternately exhilarating and depressing, the narrative switches between the fictional travels of the last male curlew and actual historical accounts that describe the wholesale slaughter and rapid decline in the massive curlew flocks that migrated between the Canadian Arctic and South America. Vivid poetic prose describes the curlew’s search for a mate, its migration south over the Atlantic Ocean, and its return north over Central America and the Great Plains. The author mostly avoids anthropomorphizing the bird’s thoughts and actions in favour of a more realistic portrayal of a animal driven by instinct and enabled by its formidable physical capabilities. This is an emotionally moving book that reminds us of the power of a story to make us care about a majestic shore bird while communicating a message about the fragility of our natural world. A Canadian classic, Last of the Curlews should be more widely read and its message heeded.