The Parrot Who Thought She Was a Dog - Hardcover

Ellis-Bell, Nancy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 030740594X ISBN 13: 9780307405944

Publisher: Crown, 2008

Synopsis

The last thing Nancy Ellis-Bell expected to descend on her life was a neglected, too-tall, smart-mouthed, one-legged, blue-and-gold rescue macaw named Peg Leg. And yet, it made perfect sense. A lifelong animal lover, Nancy could never turn away a stray cat, dog, squirrel, or raccoon from her California farm. But the macaw, quickly rechristened Sarah, was a whole new challenge, as Nancy, her husband, Kerry, and their furry menagerie would find out.

Initially timid of her new surroundings, Sarah soon imposed her four-foot wingspan into the family homestead—first claiming the laundry basket, then conquering a prized dresser—and achieved complete household domination. Nancy couldn’t “bird-proof” the place fast enough, and it was not long before Sarah started stealing the dogs’ toys—using her enormous beak to disembowel Ben the mutt’s treasured stuffed bear—and bathing her richly hued feathers in their water bowl. She also peppered Nancy’s phone conversations with expletive-laden outbursts. There seemed no end to Sarah’s realm, nor her destruction, and it dawned on Nancy that the entire house had slowly transformed into a birdcage.

On the other side of the coin, Sarah started to abandon her own raptor instincts when she discovered that dog food was pretty tasty and that she had a knack for “barking” (and a few other sounds that alarmed the neighbors). As they all learned to live together, Nancy marveled that Sarah had truly found a place to call home, but she sensed that there was something she could give Sarah to make her feel more complete: a chance to fly again.

Touching, eye-opening, and laugh-out-loud funny, The Parrot Who Thought She Was a Dog is a tender tale of two worlds colliding, two lives enriched, and two souls restored. It is also a rewarding reminder that love can come from the most unexpected places.

About this title

About the Author

NANCY ELLIS-BELL is a respected literary agent, a former professor, and an author. She divides her time between New York and her mountain home in northern California, which she shares with two parrots, three dogs, two cats, fifty-one koi, and a husband who understands and accepts her passion for animals.
Visit the author at www.TheBarkingParrot.com.

Reviews

Despite an intriguing premise, Ellis-Bell's memoir of adopting an obstinate parrot fails to capture the spirit of either the bird or her owner. A literary agent living in rural California with her husband, Ellis-Bell already had a menagerie that included dogs, cats and even a family of raccoons living under the deck. But her life changed when she brought home a one-footed blue and gold wild-caught macaw named Peg Leg. Rechristening her Sarah, Ellis-Bell soon realized that despite her love of animals, she had no idea how to care for such an ornery creature. Sarah soon had the run of the house, climbing furniture and stealing the dogs' toys and bones. Even though Sarah refused to be touched, she and Ellis-Bell soon bonded and Sarah would follow the author from room to room like a puppy. The decision of whether or not to allow Sarah to fly free outdoors was an agonizing one for Ellis-Bell, and its consequences were monumental. Prone to repetition, Ellis-Bell moves through Sarah's life in strict linear fashion that too soon feels episodic. That said, Sarah is a delightfully mischievous creature the reader grows to love as Ellis-Bell did. (July)
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*Starred Review* Peg-Leg entered Ellis-Bell’s life after the author was captivated by her eyes at a “parrot weekend,” a get-together for potential and current parrot owners. The blue-and-gold macaw lost a foot during her capture from the wild, was abused by her previous owner, and became vicious as a result. Renamed Sarah, she now lives with a person who loves her and is eager to make a better life for a poor battered bird. When first released from her cage, Sarah climbs down and rousts the family dogs from their dishes, absconding with an entire rib bone. Laundry time becomes playtime as the macaw digs through the freshly dried laundry, showing a particular fondness for lingerie. After two months of exploring the house on foot, Sarah starts flying, and strafing the dogs becomes her new joy. Upon seeing her interact with the resident ravens through the window, the author decides to let her go outside, and gardening with Sarah becomes a paradise for both human and bird. Life with a macaw is always an adventure, since they are easily bored and have the maturity level of a perpetual three-year-old. Ellis-Bell captures this ongoing sense of discovery perfectly. --Nancy Bent

Edition details

• Publisher: Crown
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 030740594X
• ISBN 13: 9780307405944
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256