Letters from Gerald
Synopsis: Many young women seized the new opportunities for a new life as social change swept through post-war England. Recruited by the war effort into jobs traditionally held by men, women emerged to a new future of possibilities. Into this social upheaval steps Eleanor Hutchinson, a young woman living alone and employed as a librarian where she reads about collections of exotic birds donated to the British Museum. She dreams of a life travelling the world on behalf of the museum when confronted by self-doubts arising from the reality of her minimal education and social standing. That is, until she corresponds by letter with a mysterious Gerald Benson at the museum. Always aloof in some exotic land, Gerald still finds time to urge Eleanor to pursue her dream. Little does she know where her pursuit will take her with the museum or Mr. Benson.
Letters from Gerald is an exploration of morals, ethics, and social position of a young woman navigating a man’s world. Told through stories of intrigue, international crime, tragedy, human foibles and comedy, the reader is led into the inner world of natural history museums, the world of bird study in the 1940s, scientific paper writing, and bird conservation efforts that resonate today.
The English culture has intrigued me ever since I spent a month with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in the 1980s. As a Canadian, I became a cultural bystander able to watch the interactions between social classes unseen in my home country. On return visits and correspondence with many British colleagues, I learned how birds became a cultural obsession of many of the English and the emergence of bird conservation. The juxtaposition of birds and social standing set the stage for the protagonist Eleanor Hutchinson to navigate her way toward her dream job. But who is the mysterious Gerald?
Pages: 407 pages
Genre: Fiction, Historical, 20th Century, Post-World War II
ISBN number: 978-1-03-830546-6 (Hardcover), 978-1-03-830545-9 (Paperback), 978-1-03-830547-3 (eBook)
Where to buy a book: Friesens Press / Amazon
Writing
Rob writes books and for scientific journals, newspapers and magazines. His latest book Pacific Flyway with Audrey Benedict and Geoff Hammerson released in 2020 won a Nautilus Book silver medal. Copies are available on line. The Great Blue Heron written in 1997 and cited over 200 times in the scientific literature, follows herons around the Salish Sea through the year to detail their ecology and behaviour. The Jade Coast written in 2003 summarizes the ecology of the North Pacific Ocean for the layperson. Both of these two books have sold out but a few copies can be found online.
What a wonderful read! A treat for bird lovers, no matter where you are in the world. My favourite thing about this book is that it reminds me just how amazing these creatures are and how much of an honour it is to share the planet with them. It’s very informative and makes you truly appreciate the wonders of bird migration. The images themselves are absolutely breathtaking… I didn’t spot a single error in the text or the illustrations. It’s a 10 out of 10, in my opinion.”
– BBC Wildlife, June 2020
Film
Mike McKinlay and I produced RETURNING, about my search for people connecting with nature around the Salish Sea. The film has been broadcast on the Knowledge Network and at numerous public gatherings.
Art
During expeditions and travels, I make pen and ink sketches, and watercolour washes, and in the studio, I paint large pieces some of which find their way into private collections in Canada and abroad. My style arose out of a combination of decades of watching animals and studying the use of colour. Some paintings are accurate depictions typical of scientific treatises, but my real interest is depicting animals in poses that illustrate their nature.
View the Art Gallery