i didn't know this was a collection of essays the author had published to a newspaper, but that explains my confusion from the first chapter to the second. the way she spoke about her chickens was endearing but i'm not sure she was illustrating her care and appreciation for them in the way she thought she was. i was hoping for a more personal memoir on the beauty of animals, and i don't think i'm going to get that, and some GR reviews are confirming this.