This unique memoir tells the intertwined coming-of-age stories of Jean Boucault and Johnny Rasse, two boys from very different backgrounds who grew up in a small French village situated along the East Atlantic Flyway, a major migratory route for birds in Europe.
Jean, the quiet son of a pharmacist, and Johnny, the outgoing son of a working-class sheep herder, both developed an extraordinary talent for imitating birdsong. They met for the first time at a local bird-calling contest. Jean, at age eleven, was a local celebrity for his bird-calling talents. Johnny soon became a close rival, leading to a deep, enduring partnership.
Structured as a dual memoir, with chapters alternating between Jean and Johnny’s perspectives, this book tells the story of how the two boys learned to communicate with birds — how to imitate them, get close to them, and try to make them respond — and how to imitate them.
Poetic, evocative, and cinematic, their memoir weaves ornithological detail into their story with lyrical descriptions of birds and nature.