Gloria Dickie

[4.25] It was a coincidental collision of events that were “bearly” separated by a week. I had skimmed an article about a new book by a journalist who explores the eight remaining species of bears. “Interesting,” I thought, but resisted the urge to add it to an already unwieldy list of “to reads.” That all changed about a week later as I sat on the deck of my cottage at Rushford Lake in Western New York. For the first time in 34 seasons, I spotted a black bear casually sauntering down on the road less than 50 yards from my deck. It was a clear sign - and I immediately checked out “Eight Bears.” Gloria Dickie does not disappoint. I must admit that on the first leg of this globe-trotting literary safari, I worried that a full-length book about bears might not keep my interest. Dickie’s engaging writing style and fascinating anecdotes made for an incredibly fast-paced read. The book makes it abundantly clear why we should all concerned about the globe’s dwindling bear population.… (mer)