Birds with No Feet Summary

It is 1853 and Alec Carriere lies in his hammock on a breezeless night. He thinks about how the treasures packed in the holds will change his life. He's collected beetles, butterflies, spiders, moths, bird skins, snakeskins, and bones. These are all from the Amazon. Mr. Barton, his agent in Philadelphia, has sold his first set of specimens for a good price, and Alec imagines that this one will set him free financially to pursue his studies in peace.

Before sailing for the Amazon, Alec worked in a shop making leather valises. The shop was not far from his parent's tavern in Germantown. When he was younger, he'd go every few months to the Academy of Natural Sciences where a few of the members would help him with his clumsy skins and mounts. By the time he was...