Can a human successfully bridge the divide between the wild and the domestic by teaching a captive-raised predator to reclaim its natural instincts? Dan O'Brien, a biologist and writer, chronicles his intensive effort to train a rescued peregrine falcon for release into the wild. Using his expertise in avian behavior and his own philosophical reflections on the natural world, O'Brien examines the ethical complexities of human intervention in wildlife conservation.

This work is regarded as a thoughtful, introspective contribution to nature writing that avoids sentimentality in favor of rigorous observation. The narrative provides a clear-eyed look at the challenges of wildlife rehabilitation and the author's own internal struggle with the boundaries of the wild.