Review of
The Hunter I Might Have Been, by George Mendoza
Five out of five stars
This short book with only a brief sentence within each two-page spread brought back a vivid memory for me. It is about a boy that takes a weapon and for the first time kills a wild creature. That creature is a sparrow and once it was silent on the ground, he had no feeling of triumph, only sadness at ending the life of a creature that could do no harm to him.
My father grew up on a farm and started hunting as soon as he was able. He continued to hunt several types of fish and game, so I grew up eating the flesh of many different animals. My first and only hunting kill was a rabbit that was eating the tender shoots of my garden. Once the animal was on the ground, I was like the author and felt only remorse regarding my actions. I never again fired a gun, even when my livestock or garden were threatened.
This book contains a valuable lesson. Not everyone has the desire to hunt now that it is no longer necessary in order to provide your next meal.
No comments:
Post a Comment