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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
This is a memoir of a woman raised in Kenya who, in adulthood, comes to oversee a number of orphaned wild animals, especially elephants. The book wasn’t quite as compelling as I’d hoped, but I did eventually get into it and found it pretty interesting.
A lovely, well-written book by an amazing woman and wildlife conservationist. Through her writing, she brought Africa to life and made me love animals even more. Now I want to go to Africa more than ever!
I just adored this book. It is an autobiography telling the story of an African-born British woman--how her family came to Kenya, describing how it was growing up there, meeting her first love, then later falling deeply in love with her soulmate. It is also the story of how Sheldrick, as the wife of a game warden, began to raise orphan wildlife to give them a second chance at life. She worked with many elephant calves and became an expert on how to raise them, given their surprisingly delicate needs and their complex family structures and emotions. As time progressed her elephant orphanage sprung from her "unofficial" work, and is going strong today.
I was so touched by the lifelong dedication Sheldrick and her family gave and continue to lavish on young, otherwise helpless animals, in many/most cases orphaned by poaching or other human interference. Like any story surrounding wildlife this one does contain its share of heartbreak, and there were several times I shed tears because of that, but the goodness within makes it all worthwhile.
I was so touched by the lifelong dedication Sheldrick and her family gave and continue to lavish on young, otherwise helpless animals, in many/most cases orphaned by poaching or other human interference. Like any story surrounding wildlife this one does contain its share of heartbreak, and there were several times I shed tears because of that, but the goodness within makes it all worthwhile.
Not only was there an abundance of information about elephants but also about rhinoceroses and impalas and zebras and many other wild animals in need of assistance. Daphne Sheldrick recounts a Kenyan childhood and a commitment as an adult to conservation and protection of the wild animals, especially from poaching. She nurtures many orphaned animals and tells these tales with creativity and heart. There is south to like In this memoir. She draws out a lovely sense of place and shares a deeply meaningful connection to those animals in her care.
This is one of my favorite books and is one of the greatest, true-life love stories I have ever heard. Not only the love between Daphne and David, but the love they had for Africa and the wildlife they helped safe. I recommend this to everyone I meet, for the beauty of the story.
A beautifully written memoir that offers a captivating glimpse into one woman's life as a settler in Kenya. She vividly recounts her idyllic, almost magical childhood on a farm, surrounded by the natural beauty and wildlife of the African landscape. Her journey into conservation is both inspiring and deeply personal, filled with moments of humor, wonder, and self-discovery. The narrative is rich with charm, offering a delightful blend of adventure and reflection that kept me fully engaged from start to finish.
A truly beautiful love story. Dame Daphne is a remarkable woman doing the kind of work I can only dream of. God bless her and The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for the amazing work they do with orphaned elephants.
3.5 stars. Très intéressant pour ce qui est du comportement animal et le développement des parcs nationaux au Kenya. Vue très subjective/britannique de l'histoire du Kenya et de la colonisation (l'Empire britannique est décrit comme bienveillant). Par contre on sent que 1000 pages ont été retirées du manuscrit initial : on aurait aimé en savoir plus par moment. C'est flagrant dans les passages un peu abrupts décrivant des morceaux de sa vie privée.