She must never speak to outsiders about how her mother makes miracles spring from the earth, or about her father, whose mysterious presence sometimes frightens her. In a remote area of Washington, a young girl named Raven keeps secrets inside, too. Convinced she can only do more harm to her family, Ellis leaves her husband and young sons, burying her desperate ache for her children deeper with every step into the mountain wildernesses she treks alone. A breaking point in an already fractured marriage, Viola’s abduction causes Ellis to disappear as well-into grief, guilt, and addiction. In a moment of crisis, Ellis Abbey leaves her daughter, Viola, unattended-for just a few minutes. We now live in the Florida countryside with as many birds, butterflies, and native flowers as we can lure to our little wildlife sanctuary.One unbearable mistake at the edge of the forest. Since we moved, raising three children and having little time for biological work has brought me back to writing.
We left Illinois when he accepted a position at University of Florida. I married an ornithologist who fully understands my nature-nerdiness. I have worked as an endangered bird specialist, and also served as an assistant editor for a scientific journal. My thesis topic focused on another gorgeous blue bird, the small but magnificent Cerulean Warbler. But birds eventually won over writing, and I completed a Master of Science degree. While working as a field biologist, I studied writing, poetry, and literature for several years.
During one of those classes, my first wobbly view of a vivid blue Indigo Bunting through binoculars was the moment I decided to focus on avian biology. In field biology courses, I discovered my compulsion to catch snakes and salamanders wasn’t as weird as I’d thought. Realizing a childhood dream, I left the city to major in Ecology, Ethology and Evolution at the University of Illinois in Urbana. Reading, especially animal stories, was an equal passion that led to my love of writing. A born naturalist trapped in a big city, I studied every creature of my parents’ tiny, wild-grown backyard.
I grew up in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of two public school teachers.
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