A review by cassafrassandfries
American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon by Steven Rinella

adventurous informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Steven Rinella LOVES buffalos. Like, really loves buffalos. You wouldn’t be able to write and/or narrate a book like this if you didn’t. After winning a highly selective lottery permit to hunt for a wild buffalo in Alaska in 2005, Rinella embarks on the journey of a lifetime to track and hunt this age-old animal. Throughout the remarkable narrative of his hunt - defying the minuscule odds of success while suffering from hypothermia and narrowly avoiding grizzlies. Rinella doesn’t just share his hunting tale, but delves into the storied past of the buffalo itself. He combines a good old American hunting story with an informative, non-fiction expanse on the 14,000 year old mammal that somehow became a symbol of our national identity as Americans. When I tell you that this man loves buffalos… I mean he LOVES buffalos. This book if jam-packed full of facts and observations on buffalos, but also delves into the societal and historical impact buffalos have had on our nation. Rinella is reflective and poignant in his contemplation on how important buffalos have been to our American past, and how this massive creature became one of the best embodiments of the American spirit. If you love buffalos or hunting, this is the book for you. If you don’t LOVE those things (like myself), listen to Steven Rinella narrate this book and you’ll find yourself loving them. His excitement, passion, and pure exuberance for this hunt, this animal, and this history are so evident in his writing. And his audiobook narration of this makes it feel as if you are there with him in the Alaskan wilderness. 

Do I feel like this could have been edited down a bit? Probably. Would I have enjoyed this as much if I had read it instead of listening to it? Probably not - I LOVE Rinella’s voice. I listened to this audiobook for free on the Libby App using my Carnegie Library Card. I would highly recommend this to someone engaged in the world of hunting, but wouldn’t let a lack of interest in it deter you. It’s a beautifully written and well-narrated story, above all. It just happens to give you a wealth of facts on buffalos, their history, migration, and conservation, too.