Frightful's Mountain

The star of this story is Frightful, the peregrine falcon featured in My Side of the Mountain (1988) and On the Far Side of the Mountain (1990, both Dutton). Her life now depends on breaking the imprinting bond she has formed with Sam Gribley and learning to live as a wild bird. Frightful's "human" and "bird" sides clash often at first-especially during the first winter when her pull to Sam overrides the migration instinct and she stays north, surviving only with human intervention. The following spring, she does mate and hatch her own chicks, but only with help from Sam, who keeps her calm during construction work on the bridge she has chosen as a nesting site. Finally, it becomes clear that nature will triumph. However, her bond to Sam will also remain. Readers of the previous books will recognize the characters and scenery, but it is Frightful who is the most fully realized character here. The humans serve more as backdrops and as a sometimes-preachy means of delivering various environmental messages. The author's obvious love and respect for her subject comes through. Frightful's story is filled with excitement and adventure and young nature lovers should be enthralled by it. Fans of the earlier books will be the most likely audience, but it's certainly strong enough to be enjoyed on its own. Narrator Wooman manipulates pauses and word emphasis to greatly enhance the feeling of reality.


Genre: Children's Fiction