by Dan O'Brien which is my favorite book on the topic.
Blurb:The South Dakota winter gives a man time to think. The subzero morning, as Dan O'Brien approaches his fiftieth year, the autumnal equinox of his life, he takes stock. Feeling a waning sense of purpose, he decides to devote himself entirely, for the first time in his life, to his greatest loves--falconry, his bird dogs, and the prairie he calls home.
That summer he obtains a remarkable falcon chick who immediately distinguishes herself with her ferocity. He names the bird Harley and trains her in the way of falconry. Harley's powers of flight are awe-inspiring, her hunting success astounding. Like a lover, she captivates him. O'Brien hunts with her obsessively, reveling in her prowess and beauty. What he learns from her and from what happens one wind-driven day lead him to see fully things he had only just begun to glimpse.
Opening:
We were into the core of a Great Plains winter and weather had driven most of us indoors. My wife, Kris, had been on call at the hospital the night before, so I'd spent the night at the ranch, where we keep the falcons, the dogs, a few horses, and a herd of cattle. In one corner of the old ranch house there is a room filled with books, and that is where I write. I try to get into that room and begin my work early, but that morning I sat in the kitchen sipping coffee, looking out the window, and checking the temperature every few minutes. For days the temperature had been lodged in the single digits below zero, but now, with the sky going a shade lighter, it was already four above.
Teaser:
Falcons can give the impression of just barely missing their quarry. They make it look look they are giving the chase everything they have and that only the quarry's last-minute, heroic maneuver saved its life. Sometimes this is true, but more likely the falcon is just playing
Share the first paragraph (or a few) from a book you are reading. Here's the link: Bibliophile By The Sea
