12/05/2022
“Birdwatching... is a thread running through the pattern of my life, so tightly woven that there’s no way of pulling it free and leaving the rest of my life intact” writes Craig in her dynamic debut. Born to a British father and Bangladeshi mother, Craig grew up in a family of fervent birdwatchers (or “twitchers”) for whom the activity wasn’t a hobby, but a means of survival. She recounts her family using travel to cope with her bipolar mother’s intensifying mood swings and troubling thoughts, sharing how they came together to search for birds in exotic destinations and traversed all seven continents before the author turned 15. As well, Craig touches on her 2016 founding of the charity Black2Nature, a platform to help give "visible minority ethnic" people better access to the outdoors (“To have a real shot at saving our world, we must involve every ethnicity as a matter of urgency”), sprinkles in background on endangered species and conservation efforts to save them, and offers something of a bird-watching 101 that covers techniques and explains the field’s jargon. This will inspire nature-minded readers. (Mar.)
02/01/2023
Craig, known for her Birdgirl blog, environmental activism, and racial equity work, shares stories of her early birding days. Each chapter opens with a bird sketch and profile that matches either the tone or message of the succeeding pages. Primarily homeschooled and tutored as her family traveled the world birding, Craig became the only child to ever complete a Big Year, which is when a birder challenges themselves or competes informally with others to identify as many bird species as possible by sound or sight within one calendar year. Her accomplishments bring steep lessons in racism, elitism, and prejudice as she shares her birding progress on social media and learns to navigate the pitfalls of fame. For example, she was the on the environmental scene well before Greta Thunberg, yet comparisons persist. This book also focuses on her mother's diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and her family's dynamic within each birding trip. Birds remain a constant source of wonder as she navigates ecotourism, high school, and ambassadorship. VERDICT This is Jeannette Walls's The Glass Castle meets Neil Hayward's Lost Among the Birds, and it will likely generate strong millennial appeal as well.—Tina Panik
★ 2022-12-23
A coming-of-age memoir from an environmentalist and avid birder.
Craig, a 20-year-old British Bangladeshi birder and diversity activist, begins by attempting to identify when she first became involved with “twitching” (bird-watching). “I don’t remember when I became obsessed with birds; it seems to me as though I’ve been birding forever,” she writes. “Given that my parents took me on my first twitch when I was nine days old, it’s easy to see why I might feel that way.” The author introduces us to her family and then dives into her lifelong obsession with bird-watching, which “has never felt like a hobby; it’s not a pastime I can pick up and put down but a thread running through the pattern of my life, so tightly woven that there’s no way of pulling it free and leaving the rest of my life intact.” While following her journey from her first Big Year (“a calendar year in which you try to see as many species of bird as possible within a given geographical area”) to her family’s trips to seven continents, we witness Craig finding her identity, balancing her life as “birdgirl” and ordinary teen, and growing her influence as an environmental advocate. Although the descriptions of her travels and countless interesting birds are eye-opening and fascinating, it’s the author’s sharp focus on how bird-watching became an important part of the family’s process of working with her mother’s mental illness that makes the text stand out from other birding memoirs. From the use of their “Craig Family Harmony Index” on extended trips through numerous doctor’s visits and medication changes, Craig and her family have remained devoted to each other. “Today, we have no expectation that traveling or anything else is going to make Mum’s mental health situation go away,” she writes, “but we are better as a family when we do it.”
An excellent mix of travelogue, memoir, and advocacy.
Although the descriptions of her travels and countless interesting birds are eye-opening and fascinating, it’s the author’s sharp focus on how bird-watching became an important part of the family’s process of working with her mother’s mental illness that makes the text stand out from other birding memoirs… An excellent mix of travelogue, memoir, and advocacy.”
–Kirkus, STARRED Review
“The astuteness with which the 20-year-old writes about her early life will reassure readers that our future is in good hands.”
–TIME Magazine
"In her dynamic debut...Craig touches on her 2016 founding of the charity Black2Nature...sprinkles in background on endangered species and conservation efforts to save them, and offers something of a bird-watching 101 that covers techniques and explains the field’s jargon. This will inspire nature-minded readers."
–PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“Birdgirl is an essential read for a new generation of birders and environmentalists. Author Mya-Rose Craig discovered her passion for birding at a young age, and her eloquent, poignant memoir is a stellar example of how spending time in nature is not only a hobby but a unique healer during challenging times.”
–David Barrett, author of A Big Manhattan Year: Tales of Competitive Birding, @BirdCentralPark on Twitter
“Craig is one to watch, for sure—her passion and knowledge will change the world.”
–Book Riot
"This is a forthright and compelling chronicle by a remarkable birder, environmentalist, and advocate.... Craig turned a love of birds and coping with family challenges into environmental and Indigenous rights activism."
–Booklist, STARRED Review
"Jeannette Walls’s The Glass Castle meets Neil Hayward’s Lost Among the Birds, and it will likely generate strong millennial appeal as well."
—Library Journal
"Mya-Rose Craig has done more than anyone to promote birding and environmental issues to young people from all backgrounds - especially women of colour - and deserves our admiration and praise."
―Stephen Moss, author of THE ROBIN
"Mya-Rose's passion and dedication for the causes she believes in are testament to what we humans can achieve when we are at our best."
―Liz Bonnin, President of the Wildlife Trust
"Craig manages to capture so vividly what birds mean to her and her family... filled with...hope and energy."
―Guardian
"[Craig's] book reads like a cross between a travel diary, an ornithologist's guide and a thriller."
―The Times
"A frank, open account of how birdwatching provided solace during Mya-Rose's teenage years... [we are] given an insight into a fascinating family of bird-lovers."
―BBC Wildlife
"This memoir will inspire readers with an eye for natureas well as those interested in climate change and conservationto look to the skies and find inspiration for a better future in all of the majestic beauty that surrounds us."
–Shelf Awareness, STARRED Review
Mya-Rose Craig's narration of her debut memoir is full of youthful exuberance, wisdom, and wit. Craig grew up in a family of birders, learning to identify species with her parents in the UK and, later, all over the world. She writes about the thousands of incredible birds she's seen on seven continents, her experiences as a biracial birder and work as a young activist in the environmental movement, and her mother's mental illness and its impact on her family's life. Her narration is bright and airy. Her voice bubbles with awe and excitement while describing her favorite birds, and she speaks about her mother's struggles with obvious emotion. This engaging, inspiring memoir is a treat for anyone who cares about the natural world. L.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Mya-Rose Craig's narration of her debut memoir is full of youthful exuberance, wisdom, and wit. Craig grew up in a family of birders, learning to identify species with her parents in the UK and, later, all over the world. She writes about the thousands of incredible birds she's seen on seven continents, her experiences as a biracial birder and work as a young activist in the environmental movement, and her mother's mental illness and its impact on her family's life. Her narration is bright and airy. Her voice bubbles with awe and excitement while describing her favorite birds, and she speaks about her mother's struggles with obvious emotion. This engaging, inspiring memoir is a treat for anyone who cares about the natural world. L.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine