The Strange White Doves

In the behavior of animals, an author discovers the limitless possibility of nature

In a wild stretch of countryside where only the toughest creatures can survive, an author witnesses a miracle: a white dove. His young companion chases after the bird, catching it easily with his bare hands—a second miracle. He takes it home as a pet, and there they find the third miracle of the day: the dove’s mate, who traveled hundreds of miles to reunite with her vanished beloved. But how did she know where to find him—and what does her journey tell us about the mysteries of the wild?
 
To the author, the miracle of the doves is too remarkable to be explained by instinct. He suspects they share a kind of telepathy, and he begins to see signs of other unspoken mysteries everywhere he looks—from insects on the ground to branches on the trees. Life is a mystery, but the answers await us if, like the doves, we know how to listen.

“A fast-moving mystery.” —Kirkus Reviews on Mystery of the Sassafras Chair

Alexander Key (1904–1979) started out as an illustrator before he began writing science fiction novels for young readers. He has published many titles, including Sprockets: A Little Robot, Mystery of the Sassafras Chair, and The Forgotten Door, winner of the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. Key’s novel Escape to Witch Mountain was adapted for film in 1975, 1995, and 2009.