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evergreensandbookishthings 's review for:
The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century
by Kirk Wallace Johnson
I had heard good things about this nonfiction account of a writer who stumbles upon an unlikely story about a major heist at the London Natural History Museum, and goes down a rabbit hole learning about the unique world of fly-tiers. And as with any book about a new-to-me subject, it was fascinating learning about the skill and cost that goes into this very niche hobby. But after a while, it became repetitive and lost my interest: if I heard the words Indian crow, bird of paradise or blue chatterer ONE MORE TIME, I might’ve screamed. I became somewhat invested again by the last quarter of the book when I thought the author was going to expose the true criminals and how this heist was pulled off. Alas. There is no real resolution, but I suppose the journey is learning all about this crazy world I knew nothing about and how these people are still grifting the natural history Museum.