Bird Brother: A Falconer's Journey and the Healing Power of Wildlife

For Rodney, a job pulling trash from the Anacostia River with the Earth Conservation Corps began as a side gig to dealing drugs—a way to get a paystub necessary to rent his own apartment. But then something incredible happened: the river's health began improving, and he was part of a small group who helped reintroduce bald eagles to the region.

Bird Brother takes readers through the joys and difficulties of Rodney's path to becoming a master falconer: from the delicate work of moving the Anacostia eaglets into their nesting box, to befriending an injured Eurasian eagle-owl named Mr. Hoots, to going to jail on drug charges and resolving to dedicate his life to birds of prey upon his release. As he trains his son Mike to be a master falconer and works to establish his own raptor sanctuary, Rodney offers a testament to the healing power of nature and the importance of second chances.

Eye-opening, witty, and moving, Bird Brother is a reminder that no matter how much heartbreak we've endured, we still have the capacity to give back to our communities and follow our wildest dreams.