california, southern

Tells the story of an injured barn owlet who was cared for by an owl laboratory assistant for over two decades. Describes the bond that developed between the woman and the owl and how the owl later saved her life.

Contains photos and the personal stories of immigrants and refugees who have settled in Southern California since the end of the Vietnam War.

Drew Greene, unwilling to believe her son David is dead, musters all the resources she can find to continue the search for the missing child, and eventually realizes the eight-year-old has been leaving clues, desperately hoping someone will pick up the trail of his kidnapper.

The author relates her experience raising a barn owl she had met while working at the owl laboratory at Caltech, discussing her relationship with the bird and what she observed and learned about the species.

Ismet Prcic, a young Bosnian who escaped war and ended up living in California, tries to deal with his experiences by writing everything down, sharing moments from his childhood, letters to his mother, and details about the life of another man, who may not be real and was part of an elite group of soldiers.