The Parrot Who Thought She Was a Dog

Despite an intriguing premise, Ellis-Bell’s memoir of adopting an obstinate parrot fails to capture the spirit of either the bird or her owner. A literary agent living in rural California with her husband, Ellis-Bell already had a menagerie that included dogs, cats and even a family of raccoons living under the deck. But her life changed when she brought home a one-footed blue and gold wild-caught macaw named Peg Leg. Rechristening her Sarah, Ellis-Bell soon realized that despite her love of animals, she had no idea how to care for such an ornery creature. Sarah soon had the run of the house, climbing furniture and stealing the dogs’ toys and bones. Even though Sarah refused to be touched, she and Ellis-Bell soon bonded and Sarah would follow the author from room to room like a puppy. The decision of whether or not to allow Sarah to fly free outdoors was an agonizing one for Ellis-Bell, and its consequences were monumental. Prone to repetition, Ellis-Bell moves through Sarah’s life in strict linear fashion that too soon feels episodic. That said, Sarah is a delightfully mischievous creature the reader grows to love as Ellis-Bell did. (July)