Four stars mostly because this graphic bio has definitely sparked an interest to read more about John James Audubon. You do get the notion that you're really not getting the whole story, further bolstered by the info in the notes at the end, but this surely lets you dip your toe in the water. Not always a fan of the art, but some of the wilderness scenes were beautiful. ( )

The story of John James Audubon's quest to observe and draw the Birds of America. In the U.S., Audubon is "the only Frenchman as well known as Lafayette" (although "in France, he remains practically unknown"). He is considered one of the founders of American ecology, despite the fact that his "activities as a hunter would horrify the majority of nature lovers today." In addition to killing countless birds and other wildlife (all the while mourning the loss of the untouched/virgin/pristine forests and other habitats), he left his wife Lucy alone for years at a time to raise their children (two daughters died in childhood, two sons lived to adulthood).

Back matter includes notes, a selected bibliography, a one-page biography, and a few color plates of the birds. ( )

When I think of John James Audubon I immediately default to pretty pictures of birds, never thinking about how obsessive and troubled a person would have to be to pursue a life’s passion to the degree he did and how hard he would be to live with. I thought I was in for a fascinating study of a complex person. Unfortunately, this "creative reimagining" has too many fantastical elements throughout, including an extended fever dream. (I HATE dream sequences.) And the narrative skips decades trying to hit high points from Audubon's life, leaving lots of holes I'd prefer to see filled.

Also, the author has to apologize not once but twice for his subject's racism and admits to wholly excluding the fact that Audubon owned slaves because...that would be too much extra work? Hmm.

Frankly, my favorite part of the book was the inclusion of several original illustrations by Audubon. Those pages look amazing. The rest just wasn't what I was looking for when I picked this up. ( )

This beautifully illustrated book covers the life of John James Audubon and his life pursuit of cataloguing the birds of America. His adventuresome spirit and single-mindedness may have made him a poor businessman but certainly contributed to him completing his life’s work and then continuing to go on further expeditions. One can’t help but feel sorry for his family, as they stayed at home while he travelled, wondering if and when they would ever see him again. I would recommend this to the many members of our local Audubon Society as well as anyone interested in early American scientific discoveries or those interesting in bird-watching. ( )