Sharing a Robin's Life

by Linda Johns

This is a true story of two unusual individuals: County, a robin who chooses to share her life with a human, and Linda Johns, an artist, who was happy to accommodate her. Through the pages of this book, the reader shares the mysterious realm of an intelligent and responsive creature of the wind. This book won the Edna Staebler Award for Creative Nonfiction.

Genres: Nonfiction, Inspirational, Nature, Animals

137 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1993

Reviews

[Sylvia Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Linda Johns' ability to form and sustain relationships with the birds she nutures is beautiful and amazing. She is willing to let the needs of the birds shape her art and her life, even to the point of accepting an offering of a spider...on her own tongue...from an adoring robin! Birds and art are not something she does in her spare time, they are how she lives her life. Joy and heartbreak and lots of humor are in the book. I read it in awe.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. Linda Johns lives in Nova Scotia, works as an artist, spends her free time rescuing birds that have been injured or abandoned. One day she finds a baby robin, whom she later names County, on the side of the road, with no mom in sight and at risk of predators or death. She decides to rescue County and thus begins a wonderful story that goes on for several years.

Ms. Johns' detailing of County's behaviours and personality traits will leave you astonished, as most people have no idea that birds can have this much personality and character. Ms. Johns goes so far as to imitate a male robin so that County can go through the seasonal building of nests, laying of eggs, and caring for babies. She even goes so far as to steal eggs from robins in the wild in order to give County the chance to be a mom, because the eggs that County lays are not fertilized and will not hatch.

The author makes mistakes and learns so much from this beautiful little robin. She also makes many changes to her house indoors in order to accommodate County and make her life as natural as possible. The author becomes exhausted from the ongoing care and constant search for bugs and worms for County and her babies; but never gives up on her commitment to County despite many setbacks and disappointments.

Have a box of kleenex handy as you will find this unforgettable story an absolute delight and emotional read.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unusual book. The author is an artist living in rural Nova Scotia. She adopts a baby robin and it lives with her for 6 years, raising numerous offspring. Johns adapts her life to the needs of the robin and beautifully describes the robin's behavior during their long relationship. She is not your average person - she loves having crickets in the house, likes the mice until they attract weasels, and spends hours and hours searching for food for the baby robins. Fascinating.

[Julie]

I was brought to tears with this book, so amazing.