As she grows through the first years of her life in the Catskill Mountains of New York, a peregrine falcon called Frightful interacts with various humans, including the boy who raised her, a falconer who rescues her, and several unscrupulous poachers, as well as with many animals that are part of the area's ecological balance.
Jean Craighead was born in Washington. Her parents and extended family were naturalists, and she spent weekends during her childhood camping out in the woods, studying nature, foraging, and fishing. Her first pet was a turkey vulture.
In 1940, George graduated from Pennsylvania State University with degrees in both English and Science. She became a reporter for The Washington Post and was a member of the White House Press Corps. In 1944 she married John Lothur George, and began writing novels with him which she illustrated. She divorced in 1963. In 1960 she received a Newbery Honor for *My Side of the Mountain*. In 1969, she went to work for *Readers Digest* as a writer and editor. She has written over 100 books.
