Imperial Dreams: Tracking the Imperial Woodpecker Through the Wild Sierra Madre
*Starred Review* Gallagher’s search for the ivory-billed woodpecker, recounted in The Grail Bird (2005), was both inspiring and heartbreaking. He now chronicles his travels through Mexico in search of another lost bird, the imperial woodpecker, which takes Gallagher and his friends into territory where drug traffickers hold much of the land that the possibly extinct woodpecker once called home. With a “natural-treasure map” in hand, Gallagher intends to hike the mountains where the imperial woodpecker once lived and determine once and for all if it has been lost forever. His passion is stirring, but it is the narrative power of his words that will pull readers in. As he follows the trail of those who sighted the bird and interviews people who carry its call in their memories, Gallagher tells the story of the country he visits, from Pancho Villa to Geronimo, Mormon settlers, Aldo Leopold, and now, sadly, the terrifying blight of narcotraficantes. In the midst of guns and drugs, the bird men remain dedicated and determined. Gallagher returned home with a story for the ages and gives armchair travelers, bird lovers, and history buffs a spectacular view of the struggle for modern Mexico’s soul. Gallagher has set a gold standard for nature writing. A triumph. --Colleen Mondor