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Woman, Watching: Louise de Kiriline Lawrence and the Songbirds of Pimisi Bay
From award-winning author Merilyn Simonds, a remarkable biography of an extraordinary woman -- a Swedish aristocrat who survived the Russian Revolution to become an internationally renowned naturalist, one of the first to track the mid-century decline of songbirds. Referred to as a Canadian Rachel Carson, Louise de Kiriline Lawrence lived and worked in an isolated log cabin near North Bay. After her husband was murdered by Bolsheviks, she refused her Swedish privilege and joined the Canadian Red Cross, visiting her northern Ontario patients by dogsled. When Elzire Dionne gave birth to five babies, Louise became nurse to the Dionne Quintuplets. Repulsed by the media circus, she retreated to her wilderness cabin, where she devoted herself to studying the birds that nested in her forest. Author of six books and scores of magazine stories, de Kiriline Lawrence and her "loghouse nest" became a Mecca for international ornithologists. Lawrence was an old woman when Merilyn Simonds moved into the woods not far away. Their paths crossed, sparking Simonds's lifelong interest. A dedicated birder, Simonds brings her own songbird experiences from Canadian nesting grounds and Mexican wintering grounds to this deeply researched, engaging portrait of a uniquely fascinating woman.
416 pages, Paperback
First published May 24, 2022
85 people are currently reading
1111 people want to read
About the author
Merilyn Simonds
24 books62 followersMerilyn Simonds is the author of 18 books, including the novel The Holding, a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice, and the Canadian classic nonfiction novel, The Convict Lover, a finalist for the Governor General's Award. In 2017, Project Bookmark Canada unveiled a plaque to honour the place of The Convict Lover in Canada’s literary landscape.
Simonds’ short fiction is anthologized internationally and her books are published in the UK, Europe, Asia, Canada, and the United States. In 2012 she published The Paradise Project, a collection of flash fiction hand-printed on an antique press with endpapers made from plants in her garden. The experience of producing the collection in both a digital and book-arts edition is the subject of Gutenberg’s Fingerprint: Paper, Pixels, and the Lasting Impression of Books. Her most recent publication is Refuge, a novel set in Mexico City, New York, and eastern Ontario.
Simonds writes a blog—Books Unpacked—on her website merilynsimonds.com. She shares her life with writer Wayne Grady. They divide their time between Mexico and Canada.
Simonds’ short fiction is anthologized internationally and her books are published in the UK, Europe, Asia, Canada, and the United States. In 2012 she published The Paradise Project, a collection of flash fiction hand-printed on an antique press with endpapers made from plants in her garden. The experience of producing the collection in both a digital and book-arts edition is the subject of Gutenberg’s Fingerprint: Paper, Pixels, and the Lasting Impression of Books. Her most recent publication is Refuge, a novel set in Mexico City, New York, and eastern Ontario.
Simonds writes a blog—Books Unpacked—on her website merilynsimonds.com. She shares her life with writer Wayne Grady. They divide their time between Mexico and Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
March 26, 2022
Louise de Kiriline Lawrence gave up a life of privilege in Sweden in exchange for a life of adventure. She became a Red Cross Nurse during WWI. She married a prisoner of war and followed him to Russia, fending for herself when he entered the White Russian army and was captured. She immigrated to Canada where she was a nurse responsible in Northern Ontario and became the nurse to the famous Dionne quintuplets. Louise bought a plot of land on Pimisi Bay and built a primitive log cabin. There, she observed birds and wrote books and scholarly papers, living with her younger, second husband Len.
Bird watcher Merilyn Simonds knew Louise and after her death, bought Louise’s log cabin. She read everything by Louise, letters and books. Her deep knowledge and love for her subject shows in this remarkable biography.
As each chapter of Louise’s life came to a close, I thought ‘here’s where I speed read,’ only to discover that the next chapter was just as amazing and interesting.
If you love books about birds and nature, Woman, Watching is for you. If you like to read about strong women who forge their own unique path, this biography is for you. If you are interested in women writers and the challenges they face, you will love Louise. There is tragic romance. The challenge of aging. A brush with fame and resisting commercialization. The power of friendship. And of course, there are the stories of the birds, the insights into their lives based on hours of personal observation.
It’s a marvelous biography.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Bird watcher Merilyn Simonds knew Louise and after her death, bought Louise’s log cabin. She read everything by Louise, letters and books. Her deep knowledge and love for her subject shows in this remarkable biography.
As each chapter of Louise’s life came to a close, I thought ‘here’s where I speed read,’ only to discover that the next chapter was just as amazing and interesting.
If you love books about birds and nature, Woman, Watching is for you. If you like to read about strong women who forge their own unique path, this biography is for you. If you are interested in women writers and the challenges they face, you will love Louise. There is tragic romance. The challenge of aging. A brush with fame and resisting commercialization. The power of friendship. And of course, there are the stories of the birds, the insights into their lives based on hours of personal observation.
It’s a marvelous biography.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
July 22, 2022
Is there anything better than a biography of a woman who lived her life to the fullest? At first I thought this was simply a profile of an influential birdwatcher. Louise de Kiriline Lawrence is described as Canada’s Rachel Carson and one of Canada’s most distinguished nature writers. Some of her meticulous bird records are still being cited more than 50 years later. But halfway into the book, I realized this woman’s life was even bigger than her contributions to science.
I didn’t expect to be on the edge of my seat devouring her adventuresome life that had her growing up as Swedish royalty, escaping wartime Russia by horse drawn carriage during a blizzard and then raising world-famous quintuplets in rural Canada as a nurse. And yet, despite all this, memoirist Merilyn Simonds, suggests we remember Louise de Kiriline Lawrence “with spruce boughs shoved under her hat and a cushion pinned to the hem of her coat, a pump sprayer in one hand, pole mirrors in the other, pockets stuffed with notebooks, binoculars tugging at her neck.” And what better legacy is there than that?!
I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley and ECW Press in exchange for an honest review.
I didn’t expect to be on the edge of my seat devouring her adventuresome life that had her growing up as Swedish royalty, escaping wartime Russia by horse drawn carriage during a blizzard and then raising world-famous quintuplets in rural Canada as a nurse. And yet, despite all this, memoirist Merilyn Simonds, suggests we remember Louise de Kiriline Lawrence “with spruce boughs shoved under her hat and a cushion pinned to the hem of her coat, a pump sprayer in one hand, pole mirrors in the other, pockets stuffed with notebooks, binoculars tugging at her neck.” And what better legacy is there than that?!
I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley and ECW Press in exchange for an honest review.
February 11, 2022
A lovingly-detailed portrait of a fascinating woman who deserves to be more widely recognised, Louise de Kiriline Lawrence, the Swedish Canadian amateur ornithologist whose studies and writing made a massive contribution to understanding the habits and behaviour of Canada’s wild birds. Louise was born into the Swedish gentry in the 1890s, her outdoorsy, conservationist father stirred her childhood interest in wildlife particularly birds. During WW1 she trained as a Red Cross nurse, later marrying a former member of the Russian Imperial Guard, following him when he joined the White Army to fight the Bolsheviks. She lived for many years in post-revolutionary Russia, eking out a living and waiting for her then-imprisoned husband to be released, he never returned. Louise then emigrated to Canada where she ran a local health clinic and assisted in the birth and early development of the infamous Dionne quintuplets. Louise fell for the charms of the Canadian wilderness and this was to become her home for almost all of her later years.
Louise built a cabin in Pimisi Bay, an isolated area of Northern Ontario where she developed a passionate interest in the local birds. It was there, during WW2, that that interest developed into a serious pursuit, and grew into a lifetime of sketching, writing, lecturing and serious study of the lifecycles of local birds. Simonds portrait of Louise’s highly accessible and admirably lucid, it’s also a marvellous account of the role and contribution of women to this slowly-evolving area of science. Simonds clearly shares Louise’s concerns for the preservation of wildlife and the significance of the natural world, and this makes her discussion of the birds that Louise documented come to life. Simonds drew on Louise’s letters, drawings, and published work for her biography, as well as conversations with Louise in the last years of her life, and her book's illustrated with photographs and examples of Louise’s sketches and images of birds.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher ECW for an ARC
Rating: 3.5
Louise built a cabin in Pimisi Bay, an isolated area of Northern Ontario where she developed a passionate interest in the local birds. It was there, during WW2, that that interest developed into a serious pursuit, and grew into a lifetime of sketching, writing, lecturing and serious study of the lifecycles of local birds. Simonds portrait of Louise’s highly accessible and admirably lucid, it’s also a marvellous account of the role and contribution of women to this slowly-evolving area of science. Simonds clearly shares Louise’s concerns for the preservation of wildlife and the significance of the natural world, and this makes her discussion of the birds that Louise documented come to life. Simonds drew on Louise’s letters, drawings, and published work for her biography, as well as conversations with Louise in the last years of her life, and her book's illustrated with photographs and examples of Louise’s sketches and images of birds.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher ECW for an ARC
Rating: 3.5
July 5, 2022
I’d never heard of Louise de Kiriline Lawrence and I’m so glad that has now been rectified by this excellent biography. A remarkable woman who led a remarkable life. An amateur ornithologist who contributed an enormous amount to the study of birds in Canada, I hope this book will bring her to a wider audience. She might be better known in Canada, of course, and amongst birders, but she certainly deserves to be acclaimed as a self-trained woman of science. Born a Swedish aristocrat, she trained as a Red Cross nurse at the outbreak of WWI and went to Russia where she met and fell in love with a White Russian officer. When he didn’t return from imprisonment by the Bolsheviks she emigrated to Canada where she set up an outpost Red Cross hospital. When the Dionne quintuplets were born she became their lead nurse but wasn’t happy with the media circus that surrounded them. So she left and set up home in the Ontario wilderness where she spent the rest of her life watching birds, studying them, writing about them. This wonderful biography is comprehensive, meticulously researched and accessibly written. A fascinating read.
August 14, 2022
Woman, Watching was a fascinating read. Louise de Kiriline Lawrence is a character almost unbelievable in her experiences. Truly worthy of being much better known by the average Canadian.
There is a lot of detail about her birdwatching and her struggles to be accepted and acknowledged as an ornithologist, which only serves to highlight her dedication and perseverance. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in natural history, but also to anyone searching for Canadian role models, especially women.
There is a lot of detail about her birdwatching and her struggles to be accepted and acknowledged as an ornithologist, which only serves to highlight her dedication and perseverance. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in natural history, but also to anyone searching for Canadian role models, especially women.
October 23, 2022
Fascinating. The stat that keeps rolling around in my head is this: in 1970, there were 45 birds per one human in North America. Now, there are 20. We are losing birds at an alarming rate. Birds need forests and those are disappearing.
May 24, 2022
I was interested in this title as I have read several of Rachel Carson's works, and have a fondness of my own for birding. I thoroughly enjoyed this biography of the life of Louise de Kiriline Lawrence and her extensive birding skills in the Pimisi Bay region of Canada. Definitely a strong personality and a woman far ahead of her time, she'd be just the kind of person I'd want to invite to a dinner party to hear the stories of her life.
Born into a wealthy Swedish family, who lost their family estate, Louise became a nurse and volunteered to work with the Red Cross in Russia during WWI. There, she met and fell in love with a Russian officer, who eventually was taken prisoner and executed. This story alone would have been enough to keep me turning pages, but not someone to sit and wait for life to come to her, Louise decided to move to Canada. She continued her nursing career in what we'd probably call "the frontier" in Canada, winding up being the nurse who took care of the Dionne quintuplets. (Also another story worth the price of admission.) After "retiring" from nursing, she wound up purchasing some land and dedicated herself to discovering all the details of this remote area, particularly interested in the life and migration habits of the songbirds who visited the woods around her home every spring.
Throughout her long life, she cultivated growing scientific habits, learning how to capture and band birds, how to observe them in their natural habitat, corresponded with experts and other amateur birding specialists around the globe, and wrote papers and articles describing the mating, nesting and feeding habits of many species. She was an amazing woman, definitely ground-breaking for her time, who had adventures worth telling.
Merilyn Simonds met Lawrence when she and her family moved near where Lawrence and her second husband had their remote house in the woods. It's obvious that she greatly admired her subject, and the story of Louise's life is exceptionally well researched. (As I was reading, I thought that Louise's adventurous life reminded me of the author, Karen Blixen, and her writings (i.e. Out of Africa), and it turns out they were cousins; definitely cut from the same cloth.) Louise's life was not an easy one. She often lived with very little income, in a house that had no amenities like running water or an indoor toilet, until well into the 20th century. She lived through amazing times of political turmoil, but she remained curious about the natural world around her. She was at the forefront of recognizing the harm pesticides were doing to the migratory birds, even before Rachel Carson sounded the warning call about DDT. Her attention to detail in her record-keeping and her insistence on doing things "in a proper scientific way" earned her a place in many male-dominanted organizations, where she was well-respected and appreciated.
A fascinating book about a woman I knew nothing about but whose story deserves to be told. Well-written, filled with exceptionally detailed research, I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
Born into a wealthy Swedish family, who lost their family estate, Louise became a nurse and volunteered to work with the Red Cross in Russia during WWI. There, she met and fell in love with a Russian officer, who eventually was taken prisoner and executed. This story alone would have been enough to keep me turning pages, but not someone to sit and wait for life to come to her, Louise decided to move to Canada. She continued her nursing career in what we'd probably call "the frontier" in Canada, winding up being the nurse who took care of the Dionne quintuplets. (Also another story worth the price of admission.) After "retiring" from nursing, she wound up purchasing some land and dedicated herself to discovering all the details of this remote area, particularly interested in the life and migration habits of the songbirds who visited the woods around her home every spring.
Throughout her long life, she cultivated growing scientific habits, learning how to capture and band birds, how to observe them in their natural habitat, corresponded with experts and other amateur birding specialists around the globe, and wrote papers and articles describing the mating, nesting and feeding habits of many species. She was an amazing woman, definitely ground-breaking for her time, who had adventures worth telling.
Merilyn Simonds met Lawrence when she and her family moved near where Lawrence and her second husband had their remote house in the woods. It's obvious that she greatly admired her subject, and the story of Louise's life is exceptionally well researched. (As I was reading, I thought that Louise's adventurous life reminded me of the author, Karen Blixen, and her writings (i.e. Out of Africa), and it turns out they were cousins; definitely cut from the same cloth.) Louise's life was not an easy one. She often lived with very little income, in a house that had no amenities like running water or an indoor toilet, until well into the 20th century. She lived through amazing times of political turmoil, but she remained curious about the natural world around her. She was at the forefront of recognizing the harm pesticides were doing to the migratory birds, even before Rachel Carson sounded the warning call about DDT. Her attention to detail in her record-keeping and her insistence on doing things "in a proper scientific way" earned her a place in many male-dominanted organizations, where she was well-respected and appreciated.
A fascinating book about a woman I knew nothing about but whose story deserves to be told. Well-written, filled with exceptionally detailed research, I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
August 10, 2023
I seem to rate all my books 5 stars, I just love to read. I think this may have been my first biography, and I really enjoyed it. My girlfriend gave me this as a birthday gift, as I am a birder, and I could not agree with the one review on the back of the book enough “This book is a gift. Get one for yourself and another for someone you love.” Thanks Lexey
June 11, 2022
A fascinating biography, but I think it would have been stronger if the author hadn't interjected her own life story into it quite so often.
March 11, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
Louise lived an interesting life. The bird observations were the most interesting parts of the book. Lots of names and details that could have been edited down. I found it a struggle to keep going once it got into her later life. I was more interested in her bird observations and nursing career than her trying to make it as a writer. The timeline jumped around a lot and would have made more sense to keep it chronological.
Louise lived an interesting life. The bird observations were the most interesting parts of the book. Lots of names and details that could have been edited down. I found it a struggle to keep going once it got into her later life. I was more interested in her bird observations and nursing career than her trying to make it as a writer. The timeline jumped around a lot and would have made more sense to keep it chronological.
July 25, 2023
A captivating biography of Louise de Kiriline Lawrence.
What an extraordinary history of the life and achievement of a strong and pragmatic woman who was born in Sweden on January 30, 1894 and died in North Bay Ontario on April 27, 1992.
During an era when women had little power, Louise who was a member of the Swedish aristocracy, trained as a nurse, survived the Russian Revolution, and after moving to Canada, became an internationally renowned naturalist by following her passion for meticulous observations and love of nature and songbirds.
Myself, currently living in Ottawa and having driven Highway 17 between Ottawa to North Bay several times, the geographic references to Pimisi Bay, Corbeil, the Mattawa River and Britannia Beach, etc. made me feel very connected to the beauty of the northeastern Ontario landscape setting where Louise built her life and a beautiful log home on the Pimisi Bay with her partner. What a strong, independent woman, to live totally off the grid and yet still be able to network globally with her fellow bird watchers, write and build her ornithologist research skills. The Museum of Nature in Ottawa is an amazing place to visit. I’ll think of Louise and her sister ornithologists with respect on my next tour through the bird exhibits.
It’s incredible that Louise was the first to note the disastrous connection between the use of DDT and the decline of the bird population in the early 1950’s. Perhaps the studies of the human impact on Earth’s geology and ecosystem during the current Anthropocene epoch will uncover other similar connections to cancer rates and other health issues. The industrial era will need to respect nature, and leave no trace if future generations are to flourish.
My current home is located in a residential neighbourhood that lost many trees to the current construction of the Ottawa LRT Confederation line. The birds lost their nesting grounds, and we lost our birdsongs.
Interestingly, Louise's log cabin and property is currently listed for sale on realtor.ca. I hope that some philanthropic soul with a passion for nature buys the property and establishes it as the bird sanctuary that Louise envisioned.
What an extraordinary history of the life and achievement of a strong and pragmatic woman who was born in Sweden on January 30, 1894 and died in North Bay Ontario on April 27, 1992.
During an era when women had little power, Louise who was a member of the Swedish aristocracy, trained as a nurse, survived the Russian Revolution, and after moving to Canada, became an internationally renowned naturalist by following her passion for meticulous observations and love of nature and songbirds.
Myself, currently living in Ottawa and having driven Highway 17 between Ottawa to North Bay several times, the geographic references to Pimisi Bay, Corbeil, the Mattawa River and Britannia Beach, etc. made me feel very connected to the beauty of the northeastern Ontario landscape setting where Louise built her life and a beautiful log home on the Pimisi Bay with her partner. What a strong, independent woman, to live totally off the grid and yet still be able to network globally with her fellow bird watchers, write and build her ornithologist research skills. The Museum of Nature in Ottawa is an amazing place to visit. I’ll think of Louise and her sister ornithologists with respect on my next tour through the bird exhibits.
It’s incredible that Louise was the first to note the disastrous connection between the use of DDT and the decline of the bird population in the early 1950’s. Perhaps the studies of the human impact on Earth’s geology and ecosystem during the current Anthropocene epoch will uncover other similar connections to cancer rates and other health issues. The industrial era will need to respect nature, and leave no trace if future generations are to flourish.
My current home is located in a residential neighbourhood that lost many trees to the current construction of the Ottawa LRT Confederation line. The birds lost their nesting grounds, and we lost our birdsongs.
Interestingly, Louise's log cabin and property is currently listed for sale on realtor.ca. I hope that some philanthropic soul with a passion for nature buys the property and establishes it as the bird sanctuary that Louise envisioned.
December 21, 2022
I’m so glad I read this book and learned about Louise’s life and all that she contributed to ornithology. I enjoyed the epic story of her resilience and survival during her years in Russia in the first quarter of the book (reminded me of Unbroken). The pace of the book does slow after that and I think unless you are quite a nature or bird lover you might lose steam. I ended up highlighting many passages about women’s contribution to observational sciences, about writing, and pursuing your passion. I’m glad to have Louise as a guiding mentor now that I know her story.
October 3, 2024
3.5/5 ⭐️ Meet an extraordinary woman, a Swedish aristocrat turned trailblazing naturalist, who rose above adversity to become a leading voice in songbird conservation. She found solace in her wilderness cabin, dedicating her life to studying the birds that thrived in her forest sanctuary. Perhaps her remarkable journey would be better told in two volumes, one chronicling her nursing endeavors and another her groundbreaking ornithology work.
June 27, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyed this book about birdwatching and the contributions of amateur ornithologists to scientific knowledge. Wonderful cousin Roxanne recommended this to me and I had already purchased it, so a nice connection with her!
January 4, 2025
I fell completely in love with this book! Deeply moving, incredibly researched, and overall just fascinating. Louise, her life, her dedication, and her resilience will stay with me for a long, long time. I highly recommend!!
November 10, 2025
Really interesting woman. Highlights how important being quiet and watching is, was a very pertenabt time for me to read as I was guiding and doing a lot of watching of bears and bird. Shows you have multiple careers and hobbies can advance to excellence. Gets a bit long descriptive about the birds she’s seeing.
May 17, 2023
The subject of this book is absolutely fascinating. I picked up this book because I’m interested in ornithology, but Louise’s story beyond studying birds was fascinating.
That being said, I think this book was well-written, but I would have preferred it to be a little shorter. It felt like no detail was spared (and I suppose this makes sense given that the author is also into the detailed hobby of birding).
That being said, I think this book was well-written, but I would have preferred it to be a little shorter. It felt like no detail was spared (and I suppose this makes sense given that the author is also into the detailed hobby of birding).
January 19, 2025
3.5/5, enjoyed the story, pacing and chronological choices a bit strange
May 23, 2025
What an amazing woman! I love stumbling upon books about fascinating people I’ve never heard of and Louise de Kiriline Lawrence is the epitome of this. Everyone should read this book about her and then go find her books to read.
February 13, 2024
A very beautifully written book, probably the best biography I’ve read. As a bird lover, this was an educational and amusing book filled with lots of facts. Louise’s young adulthood in Russia was so heartbreaking and it was amazing to read that she persevered and enjoyed her life to its fullest. A truly fascinating and multi-layered account of a remarkable woman!
March 25, 2025
I had never really thought of how starkly different men and women who observe and report on nature are treated. This is a beautiful biography of a woman who contributed so much to the natural science of ornithology.
August 4, 2023
3.5 Stars
What a fascinating biography of a woman who experienced her life to the fullest!
She truly was an inspiration on so many levels including her lineage, nursing career, living off the grid, writing abilities and love of birds.
I enjoyed the inclusion of photos throughout the book and sharing letters of correspondence with Louise’s mother and her friends. Loved the book cover!
While her story is definitely worth sharing, I found the book too detailed ….that’s what the notes, credits and resources are for, in my opinion. It was often confusing with the timelines and random details about the authors own autobiography.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love of nature and appreciation of Canadian female role models.
What a fascinating biography of a woman who experienced her life to the fullest!
She truly was an inspiration on so many levels including her lineage, nursing career, living off the grid, writing abilities and love of birds.
I enjoyed the inclusion of photos throughout the book and sharing letters of correspondence with Louise’s mother and her friends. Loved the book cover!
While her story is definitely worth sharing, I found the book too detailed ….that’s what the notes, credits and resources are for, in my opinion. It was often confusing with the timelines and random details about the authors own autobiography.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love of nature and appreciation of Canadian female role models.
October 16, 2022
I’m one of those people who judges a book by it’s cover and this book it just as beautiful on the inside as the outside.
It is truly a treasure!
It is truly a treasure!
December 12, 2021
Woman, Watching by Merilyn Simonds is a wonderful and fascinating biography on such an intriguing, complex, and impressive woman before her time: Louise de Kiriline Lawrence. I just loved this!
I have been slowly but surely learning about birds, birdsong, identification…you name it since my son became fascinated with them two years ago and we purchased his first (of wayyyyyy too many) birds guides and birdfeeders. After joining the local Audubon network, we are trying to absorb as much as we can. As I have been branching out, I have become interested in other historical aspects: history, past naturalists, scientists, authors, and ornithologists. So when I saw this book about Ms. de Kiriline Lawrence, I was immediately drawn to it. However, I was truly blown away by her life story overall and by the amazing way the author was able to bring it all together for the reader.
Ms. Simonds did an excellent job in taking this larger than life woman whom seemed to have lived multiple lives within just one, and presented all of her triumphs, obstacles, loves, losses, accomplishments, and her beyond imaginable life travels, experiences, and contributions. When so many would have folded the cards and given up, Louise pushed onward. Through her upbringing, her nursing duties and experiences, her marriage, the horrible experiences with imprisonment, loss, and escape…only to forge ahead with new gusto, passion, and courage…she became such a vital component to the study, awareness, and preservation to Ornithology…I am just in awe of all she experienced and accomplished.
The reader will get to travel from Sweden to Russia to Canada and to the rest of the world while diving through this book. They will be able to get first-hand experience within multiple different eras, Wars, and generations. There is so much to learn and devour. So much to enjoy.
This is beyond a truly remarkable and memorable biography that I cannot do it true justice by writing this review. I only hope that it is enough to encourage and inspire fellow readers to pick up and read, and subsequently help contribute and make a difference in their own habitats and surroundings.
I just loved the included photos and images. It really helped tie it all in together perfectly. The amount of research, passion, and time spent putting it all together is evident within every page.
Be prepared to be transported and transformed. I certainly have been.
5/5 stars enthusiastically
Thank you EW and ECW Press for this stunning arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately (as of 12/12/21 no BB listing has been created and link will be updated when it is available) and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts immediately upon publication on 5/24/22.
I have been slowly but surely learning about birds, birdsong, identification…you name it since my son became fascinated with them two years ago and we purchased his first (of wayyyyyy too many) birds guides and birdfeeders. After joining the local Audubon network, we are trying to absorb as much as we can. As I have been branching out, I have become interested in other historical aspects: history, past naturalists, scientists, authors, and ornithologists. So when I saw this book about Ms. de Kiriline Lawrence, I was immediately drawn to it. However, I was truly blown away by her life story overall and by the amazing way the author was able to bring it all together for the reader.
Ms. Simonds did an excellent job in taking this larger than life woman whom seemed to have lived multiple lives within just one, and presented all of her triumphs, obstacles, loves, losses, accomplishments, and her beyond imaginable life travels, experiences, and contributions. When so many would have folded the cards and given up, Louise pushed onward. Through her upbringing, her nursing duties and experiences, her marriage, the horrible experiences with imprisonment, loss, and escape…only to forge ahead with new gusto, passion, and courage…she became such a vital component to the study, awareness, and preservation to Ornithology…I am just in awe of all she experienced and accomplished.
The reader will get to travel from Sweden to Russia to Canada and to the rest of the world while diving through this book. They will be able to get first-hand experience within multiple different eras, Wars, and generations. There is so much to learn and devour. So much to enjoy.
This is beyond a truly remarkable and memorable biography that I cannot do it true justice by writing this review. I only hope that it is enough to encourage and inspire fellow readers to pick up and read, and subsequently help contribute and make a difference in their own habitats and surroundings.
I just loved the included photos and images. It really helped tie it all in together perfectly. The amount of research, passion, and time spent putting it all together is evident within every page.
Be prepared to be transported and transformed. I certainly have been.
5/5 stars enthusiastically
Thank you EW and ECW Press for this stunning arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately (as of 12/12/21 no BB listing has been created and link will be updated when it is available) and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts immediately upon publication on 5/24/22.
July 19, 2023
Merilyn Simonds, Woman Watching, was one of my most favorite books. Simonds paints a beautiful portrait of a charismatic woman who had many accomplishments and contributions to the birds world that may have otherwise not been memorialized fully. Using a variety of research methods including pouring through correspondences, book drafts, proposals, and other written documents, Simonds bring to life an incredible woman who inspires others in her own time and continues to today. Louise was a prolific writer to a number of folks from weekly letters to her mother, famous ornithologists of her time, and a many number of other woman who contributed to what we now know about birds and birding.
It was Louise herself that asked Simonds to write a biography of her life, and although it took 29 years to make good on that request, I am grateful that she did. Simonds must count herself lucky as she was able to count Louise as a friend.
This book is definitely a page turner. I don't read many books more than once, however Woman, Watching has so much packed into every page I will definitely have to give it another go.
It was Louise herself that asked Simonds to write a biography of her life, and although it took 29 years to make good on that request, I am grateful that she did. Simonds must count herself lucky as she was able to count Louise as a friend.
This book is definitely a page turner. I don't read many books more than once, however Woman, Watching has so much packed into every page I will definitely have to give it another go.
January 24, 2026
This is a really fascinating book about a fascinating woman! Her journey from Sweden to Russia, and ending up in Canada is so interesting. And the way she discovers a passion in her 50s and becomes an expert in it is inspiring and hope giving—never too late to try something!
January 22, 2022
This biography of Louise de Kiriline Lawrence, a woman ornithologist, will be primarily of interest to bird lovers and readers interested in strong women in science. Very well written and deeply researched, it does in fact cover too much and in too much detail. A more focused book on either her work as a nurse or her life as an ornithologist and her chosen remote lifestyle in the Canadian woods would have been more readable. Lovely book cover! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital advanced review copy.
February 25, 2023
What an interesting and varied life this woman led. From her privileged Swedish roots, to becoming a nurse during WW1 and living in Russia during the Revolution, to living decades in a remote cabin with no utilities in northern Ontario, Canada.
Much of the book covers details of her bird watching as an amateur ornithologist near her rustic cabin. And even as a bird lover, at one point I started to skim some of this detail. An annoyance was the author inserting her own personal story in a random manner and frequently.
Much of the book covers details of her bird watching as an amateur ornithologist near her rustic cabin. And even as a bird lover, at one point I started to skim some of this detail. An annoyance was the author inserting her own personal story in a random manner and frequently.
March 22, 2026
What a pleasure to read! I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written account of one of Canada’s premier amateur ornithologists! Thank you Merilyn Simonds for bringing Louise to life!
March 22, 2026
A fascinating biography of a remarkable woman who started out in Sweden as the child of aristocrats, suffered the loss of her father and her family's money at an early age, and lived in an era when women were not generally educated beyond the basics. She did train as a nurse at the start of World War I and was assigned to a Russian POW camp, where she fell in love with a Russian man and followed him to the Russian arctic. When the Bolsheviks took over in 1917, Louise and her husband joined thousands of refugees attempting to escape to Finland. But they were captured and separated in a prison camp. Her husband was taken away and killed but she was not notified and did not know where he had been taken, so she spent three years in Russia, then searching for him and more years wondering if he were still alive, before finally learning he had died. She emigrated to Canada, landing in North Bay, where she was a Red Cross nurse in a mostly rural area which included the Dionne family. When they gave birth to quintuplets, their doctor, who had worked with Louise, called her to work with him nursing the quintuplets, who were the first to survive past infancy and became international celebrities. After a year, during which she was a key person in keeping them alive, she tired of the chaotic, crowded atmosphere around the quints and built a log home in the woods to pursue a writing career. Her first book was about her year with the quintuplets, but she later moved into nature-themed books. She married Leonard Lawrence in 1939 — a younger, less educated man who had been her handyman and longtime supporter in her life in the woods. He signed up to serve in World War II in 1939, and that's when she became serious about birds-watching. She became a widely respected amateur ornithologist, kept detailed notes and produced highly detailed, scientifically sound articles, earning considerable respect from professionals. She developed correspondences with several of those men (and in those days, nearly all who had the education required were men, as the author points out in a detailed section about the dearth of women in the field and the reasons for this) and learned to keep scientific notes and observations that were highly prized by others in the field. When her husband returned from the war, they lived happily together, each pursuing their own interests but sharing their lives during off hours.
I commend the author Merilyn Simonds, for her exquisite descriptions of the woods surrounding Louise and Len's home and the birds Louise observed, and her detailed study of Louise's papers and correspondence with her mother and many professional ornithologists, as well as her deep friendship with Margaret Morse Nice, a woman who had managed to get the education required to become a professional. I especially liked the section detailing women's near exclusion from the field during Louise's day and the reasons for that - the fact they did not receive advanced education being a major one. So glad I have had the opportunity to read this book a second time and absorb even more of its impressive detail and wonderful writing. As an audiobook reader, I also commend reader Elizabeth Wiley, whose command of Louise's Swedish accent and all the other characters' voices as well as her rendering of the wonderful descriptive passages are all superb.
I commend the author Merilyn Simonds, for her exquisite descriptions of the woods surrounding Louise and Len's home and the birds Louise observed, and her detailed study of Louise's papers and correspondence with her mother and many professional ornithologists, as well as her deep friendship with Margaret Morse Nice, a woman who had managed to get the education required to become a professional. I especially liked the section detailing women's near exclusion from the field during Louise's day and the reasons for that - the fact they did not receive advanced education being a major one. So glad I have had the opportunity to read this book a second time and absorb even more of its impressive detail and wonderful writing. As an audiobook reader, I also commend reader Elizabeth Wiley, whose command of Louise's Swedish accent and all the other characters' voices as well as her rendering of the wonderful descriptive passages are all superb.
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