In 1859, a little boy named Gerhard Heilmann enters the world. From the moment he is born, he is set to take over his father’s pharmacy, and thus, he spends his childhood running between refined wooden shelves lined with apothecary jars, chasing after his father’s young assistant Hassing, who becomes something of a paternal figure to Gerhard. Hassing has a strong interest in birds, and this fascination soon spills over to the young boy.
Twenty years later, Heilmann has chosen his own path in life, breaking free of his family’s expectations. He has made a name for himself as a respected artist, working for the National Bank and the Royal Porcelain Factory, but his true fascination concerns the potential biological connection between dinosaurs and birds. In 1926, Heilmann publishes The Origin of Birds, an illustrated book with wide-spanning evidence presenting his own theory regarding the prehistoric ancestor of birds through intricate artwork.
The publication with Heilmann’s imaginary illustration of the ancestor earns him international praise and closes the scientific discussion for forty years. Yet, distinguished scientists in his native Denmark dismiss him, calling him an amateur because he has no formal education. His personal life is minted with an equally profound disparity; Heilmann is homosexual in a time when same-sex relations were punishable by law. Forced to conceal his queer relationship while raising three orphaned girls, Heilmann lives his life in the shadows while leaving an extraordinary mark on history.
In The Man Who Grew Wings, Eva Tind pens a vulnerable and powerful story based on the life of a man long ahead of his time; a man who not only furthered science through sheer willpower, but who also lived a life full of wonder and conviction.
