Article 2 - REVIEW OF "Travels with My Chicken" OCTOBER 2006 edition of First Church of The Streets

    I've read a lot of travelogues in my time. People travel with their family, their spouses, their dogs and their cats. I've heard of solo travelers who get attached to their backpacks and give them names. But this would be the first time I ever read about traveling with a chicken. That's exactly what Martin Gurdon did in his book, appropriately named "Travels with My Chicken". Taken place in the British Isles, Gurdon sets upon a road trip to promote his previous book, "Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance". Using a gimmick in the same vein as his first book's title, Gurdon uses one or more of his pet chickens as a prop to promote his book. An amateur owner of pet chickens, Gurdon used his personal experience to write that book, finding that in the process, the travels of his book tour led him to the production of a second book. Hence, the idea of "Travels with My Chicken" was hatched.

    Gurdon relays his trips and travails carting a chicken around to various parts of Britain and Wales, what he sees and what he attracts with a chicken as a traveling companion. Though the book takes more of the perspective of the various hassles and complications that arise from traveling with such an unusual animal, and relays a great deal about the details and foibles of trying to care for such an animal on the road, Gurdon tries as best as possible to relay his experiences as a kind of travelogue. His unusual companion provides for unexpected interactions with people that Gurdon would probably not normally interact with, such as teenagers and prison inmates. And even when his companion is not with him, because he is on the road, his experiences travel into unusual anecdotes that wouldn't have happened had he never wrote his chicken book to begin with.

    Gurdon's voice is friendly and unassuming, as though he is aware of the bemusement his choice of topic might invoke. Despite his light tone, he writes with respect for his animal companion, showing that a pet can come in the form of any animal. And he also shows how even the most unusual pet can help humans cross barriers. Through his chickens, Gurdon crosses his own path, learning that his pet teaches him how to deal with life's crises, and to faces the challenges of relating to his fellow human beings.