At the tail end of a vacation from the Argentinian boarding school where he is teaching English to high school students, Tom Michell is walking on a beach in Uruguay and has stumbled upon a hideous scene: hundreds of penguins lying dead, washed ashore, having been essentially suffocated by an oil spill. Rather than immediately recoiling and turning away, Michell feels drawn to witnessing further this terrible crime, and further surveys the devastation. As he looks around at all these carcasses, he notices in the corner of his eye a brief movement – just one out of all of these many, many poor birds begins to move and lift its head. After running back to his hotel to grab a bag and other equipment (what does one use to rescue a penguin???), he runs back to the spot where he had seen the surviving bird and mangles him into the bag and somehow gets him back to his hotel. Once the penguin sees that this human is not out to hurt him but is actually trying to help get him cleaned of the residual oil and tar that has clung to his feathers, the penguin suddenly becomes docile and friendly. And so begins an unlikely and beautiful friendship.
This memoir is just utterly delightful. I have not yet seen the movie, which I know was released a few months ago, but the book is pure joy. The story of how Michell brings the penguin, ultimately named Juan Salvado (or Salvador), over the border to Argentina, is both charming and outrageous. His acceptance by everyone around him on campus highlights both the generosity of spirit of those who are at the school and the personality of the bird himself. And what the bird brings to both the children and the adults around him is so beautiful to witness, even vicariously. While the bird requires work to keep him, it is clear that everyone who helps care for him absolutely benefits so much from the honor. And there is so much to learn from this.
There have been a number of stories here in this blog that have highlighted the relationship between people and their pets/animal friends – but this one, I believe, takes it to the next level. The fact that the care of Juan Salvado became such a communal effort was of such deep psychological benefit to both the penguin – who demonstrated joy at every human interaction – but also to those who visited him, fed him, washed him, and cleaned his terrace. Anyone who came to see him literally spoke to him as if he were human, confiding in him, even asking advice. It is not a reach to say that we clearly benefit so much from our fellow creatures, and that we must care for both them and the world they inhabit.
This is a beautiful story throughout. Michell has given us a gift, sharing his experiences with Juan Salvado.
kindread spirits 