"This true story will twist your heart like a sponge and renew your faith in the world." --Lee Woodruff, co-author with Bob Woodruff of the New York Times bestseller In an Instant
"A heartwarming book." --Vicki Myron, author of New York Times #1 Bestseller Dewey
"Reminds us of the extraordinary ways caring people are helping the men and women who have served our country...and animals along with them." --Maxine Waters
"I defy anyone to read it without shedding tears." --Rosemary Low, author of The Complete Book of Parrots
"It left me smiling, full of hope, and wishing there were more Lorin Linders out there." --Mary Gauthier
Animal lover though she was, Lorin Lindner was definitely not looking for a pet. Then came Sammy - a mischievous and extremely loud bright pink Moluccan cockatoo who had been abandoned. It was love at first sight. But Sammy needed a companion. Enter Mango, lover of humans ("Hewwo"), inveterate thief of precious objects. Realizing that there were many parrots in need of new homes, Dr. Lindner eventually founded a sanctuary for them.
Meanwhile, she began to meet homeless veterans on the streets of Los Angeles. Before long she was a full time advocate for these former service members, who were often suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Ultimately, Dr. Lindner created a program for them, too.
Eventually the two parts of her life came together when she founded Serenity Park, a unique sanctuary on the grounds of the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Administration Healthcare Center. She had noticed that the veterans she treated as a clinical psychologist and the parrots she had taken in as a rescuer quickly formed bonds. Men and women who had been silent in therapy would share their stories and their feelings more easily with animals.
Birds of a Feather is ultimately a love story between veterans and the birds they nurse back to health and between Dr. Lindner and her husband, a veteran with PTSD, who healed at Serenity Park. Full of remarkable people and colorful birds, this book reminds us that we all have the power to make a difference.