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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
Utterly moving, fascinating and inspiring! What a life!
Wavering between "it's okay" and "liked it". I picked it up because I wanted animal stories and nothing else, but there's a fair amount of memoir here which I found less interesting. You also must pick this up with the awareness that Sheldrick is very much a product of her time, and expresses her opinion of the British having "brought progress to the darkness of Africa" (saying something almost exactly to that effect) quite strongly in various parts of the book. /gag
I try not to judge memoirs on their contents. I’m not going to really pass judgement on someone’s experiences but I will say that the content of this one put me at odds. On one hand, elephant babies and natural wild lands are cool! On another hand im not so into the casual attitude towards white settlers in Africa and British colonialism. If you were expecting the book to just read about elephants then the whole British colonial aspect may be a little unexpected and unappealing. The attitude is definitely one that reflects a bygone era.
That being said to temper my review, the writer is a fascinating woman with an interesting life. The things she describes are vivid and fascinating. She doesn’t mince words about the graphic and tragic nature of life. She creates wonderful tension and paints these beautiful tableaus of daring bush adventures, beautiful vistas, and a cadre of animals with vivid personalities.
What is most striking about this book is the way she describes the love of her life. Her tender and romantic way of describing her husband was the most special thing about this book, which is impressive considering the book also talked about baby elephants.
That being said to temper my review, the writer is a fascinating woman with an interesting life. The things she describes are vivid and fascinating. She doesn’t mince words about the graphic and tragic nature of life. She creates wonderful tension and paints these beautiful tableaus of daring bush adventures, beautiful vistas, and a cadre of animals with vivid personalities.
What is most striking about this book is the way she describes the love of her life. Her tender and romantic way of describing her husband was the most special thing about this book, which is impressive considering the book also talked about baby elephants.
What a remarkable woman! I loved reading her enchanting story and I only hope I could accomplish as much as her in my life time! As a person who donates to this charity I was very happy to read how it all started and came to be. I would love to visit one day and meet my little elephant I’ve fostered. This makes me hope I could do more for my community and in my life.
This book was a bit longer than it needed to be more. 100 less pages would have made a better book in my opinion. That being said, I’m glad to have read it. It was fascinating to read about the author’s life growing up in Kenya. I learned a lot about poaching and elephant behavior and appreciate learning more about this before I go to the Sheldrick Elephant Sanctuary later this year.
The story of a woman who is born, raised, and falls in love in Africa. She and her husband take in wild orphans from the national parks of Kenya and she learns to raise and release elephants, rhinos and other animals into the wild.
This is a story about the life of a woman who loves Africa and its landscape, but also who has a deep love and appreciation for the preservation of animals and the lessons that they can teach us about life.
It is a little simplistic, but was a pleasure to read while travelling in Africa.
This is a story about the life of a woman who loves Africa and its landscape, but also who has a deep love and appreciation for the preservation of animals and the lessons that they can teach us about life.
It is a little simplistic, but was a pleasure to read while travelling in Africa.
Really 3.5 stars. I'm planning a trip to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and was so excited to learn about the background of the Trust. Ultimately, I didn't love the book as much as I expected to. Daphne Sheldrick's life's work is tremendously impressive, but I wasn't really moved by her portrayal of it. Some of the stories are incredible, but there seemed to be a lot of rote reporting in between.
I have tons of respect for Sheldrick and her work, but the book was only decent, not a favorite.
I have tons of respect for Sheldrick and her work, but the book was only decent, not a favorite.
This is truly a love story. Not just a human one, or one about Africa or one about elephants. It is a love story about loving and caring for wild animals.
It is very inspirational – it is living out a dream life and being able to actually enjoy watching people devote and immerse themselves in work that they find truly rewarding – how wonderful is that?!
More than just a memoir it is a lovely tribute to her husband.
This book read like a fiction tale, but the truth of the tales told were sometimes heart wrenching, heart breaking, and heart moving.
Overall, this was an amazing book. There was so much to learn. I highly recommend it.
It is very inspirational – it is living out a dream life and being able to actually enjoy watching people devote and immerse themselves in work that they find truly rewarding – how wonderful is that?!
More than just a memoir it is a lovely tribute to her husband.
This book read like a fiction tale, but the truth of the tales told were sometimes heart wrenching, heart breaking, and heart moving.
Overall, this was an amazing book. There was so much to learn. I highly recommend it.