Frightful's Mountain

Sam is young a man who has lived on a mountain in the Catskills for the past few years. In the trilogy’s first novel, Sam is 12 years old; by the time the narrative commences in Frightful’s Mountain, he is 13 or 14.

Sam has a deep appreciation for the natural world and all the creatures that inhabit it. His most special bond, however, is with Frightful. He has taken care of her since she was a baby and can communicate with her and calm her in ways no one else can. Even though Frightful is special to him, Sam chooses to let Frightful be free and find a mate so that she can have young. His actions show his respect for nature; he does not put his desires above what is best for the natural world. Sam also has humility, learning from nature through observation rather than asserting that he knows best. He celebrates when Frightful succeeds in finding a mate and does all he can to help her and her eyases survive on the bridge despite ongoing construction. Sam shows his selflessness when he chooses to spend his days feeding and calming Frightful. He even builds a temporary shelter nearby so that he can keep an eye on Frightful and her chicks. Sam is caring, self-sacrificing, and tender-hearted. These qualities prompt Zella and Bando to name their daughter Samantha in honor of Sam. Their doing so also confirms the family-like bond that they all share.

Even though Sam’s life on the mountain is simple, it is meaningful. He enjoys fulfilling relationships with friends, his sister, Frightful, and the rest of the natural world and lives in peace and happiness by following his passions.

Chup is a male peregrine falcon named for the sound of his call to Frightful. He looks similar to Frightful, although he is smaller, and he defers to Frightful as the larger and more powerful bird. Chup’s mate died while away from the nest, so Chup recruits Frightful as his new mate to help him raise three eyases. Since Frightful does not know what to do in her new role as a mother, Chup models how to feed the chicks. Frightful’s experience as Chup’s mate proves important in her journey toward becoming independent of Sam. Chup and his eyases provide a distraction that keeps Frightful from looking for Sam and his mountain home. Furthermore, Chup rejoins Frightful as a mate when 426, her mate later in the novel, does not return to the nest. At the novel’s end, Frightful and Chup make an aerie where they will raise young when spring comes. Chup’s role in the novel is to aid Frightful in her transition in the wild and to model for the reader the role of the male peregrine falcon in raising young. 

A male peregrine falcon, 426 is another of Frightful’s mates. His name comes from the number on his tag, given to him by Heinz Meng, a real-life falconer who raised falcons in captivity before releasing them to the wild. (Although alive when George published Frightful’s Mountain, Meng died in 2016.) Frightful and 426 become mates after Frightful spends the winter with Jon Wood, and they raise Blue Bill, Screamer, and Oksi together. Because of the construction on the bridge, 426 is unable to fulfill some of his fatherly duties, and Sam feeds Frightful in his place. However, 426 stays near his mate and offspring, and when the noise on the bridge quiets, he joins his family and cares for them. Thus, 426 serves as another example of the behavior and role of a male falcon, also referred to as a “tiercel.” The death of 426 reminds the reader of the precarious state of birds of prey and the many natural and manmade dangers they face.

George incorporates several of Delhi’s children into the narrative, including Maria, Molly, José, and Hughie. They are around 10 years old and learn about falcons from Leon Longbridge, the local conservation officer. When the kids find out about Frightful’s predicament with her young on the bridge, they want to help her and write letters to the governor of New York asking him to delay work on the bridge. Their letters are successful, although by the time the governor responds, two of Frightful’s eyases have been stolen. The kids also organize a parade through the streets to Delhi to advocate for Frightful and her chicks. Not content to simply read about falcons, the children want to observe them and do what they can to protect them. The kids are brave and resourceful, and they don’t let their youth keep them from working to bring about change. Through them, George demonstrates that young people are capable of successfully advocating for change.