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joypouros's review
sad
slow-paced
2.0
A book about Dr. Amir would have been much more interesting.
They called him Father of Lions and the book pretends he was a zookeeper, but the reality is he was untrained and, while he loved animals, in the end the animals needed rescued from him. He tried to feed the animals, even at the expense of feeding his own family, but didn't have the food or funds to care for the animals. Dr. Amir came from Egypt and saved them.
The book was very informative about life in ISIS occupied Iraq, but in terms of comparing it to A Zookeeper's Wife, I found it very different.
Our main character here was reckless and unlikeable. It wasn't so much about a zoo as it was about poor animals wasting away in cages with no actual care. For much of the book, our protagonist can't even get to them to know if they are okay.
They called him Father of Lions and the book pretends he was a zookeeper, but the reality is he was untrained and, while he loved animals, in the end the animals needed rescued from him. He tried to feed the animals, even at the expense of feeding his own family, but didn't have the food or funds to care for the animals. Dr. Amir came from Egypt and saved them.
The book was very informative about life in ISIS occupied Iraq, but in terms of comparing it to A Zookeeper's Wife, I found it very different.
Our main character here was reckless and unlikeable. It wasn't so much about a zoo as it was about poor animals wasting away in cages with no actual care. For much of the book, our protagonist can't even get to them to know if they are okay.
suebarsby's review
2.0
This was a magazine article at most. There was far too much superfluous detail. The tagline is inaccurate. A book about Dr Amir would be good, but not by this author. Otherwise, very odd and way too long.
mandyyeff's review
4.0
Father of Lions is an unbelievable true story about an animal rescue through Isis, Daesh, and Iraq territories while a war is still raging. I haven't read anything about how destructive the war in Iraq is for the civilians, so just reading a war story was interesting enough to me. To add on to the civilians troubles by showing how helpless animals were destroyed or affected adding an extra layer of empathy towards what is going on in the country. A blurb said this is perfect for fans of The Zookeeper's Wife, and I agree wholeheartedly! To see so much love and empathy in a place destroyed by terror and war, it's heartwarming. But the information about how torn up the state of Iraq is was great alone. Callaghan is an amazing writer, and I can't wait to see what she writes next.
dannycakez8808's review
4.0
All i have to say is wow! I am so happy that i got the opportunity to read this book. Thank you for the ARC copy provided by Bookish First!
This book is a work of nonfiction following the story of a man named Abu who works the Mosul Zoo in ISIS invaded Iraq. We follow Abu and his journey to help save the animals and the zoo during this terrifying time in the country. Abu is particularly found of the lions he looks after, hence the title "Father of Lions". This is current day history that I had not heard of prior to reading this book. It is a very important story. It is heartbreaking, exciting, and hard to read at times, but I also think that the story is one that needs to be heard by everyone. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the current history of Iraq and to anyone interested in the civil affects ISIS has caused in the area.
This book is a work of nonfiction following the story of a man named Abu who works the Mosul Zoo in ISIS invaded Iraq. We follow Abu and his journey to help save the animals and the zoo during this terrifying time in the country. Abu is particularly found of the lions he looks after, hence the title "Father of Lions". This is current day history that I had not heard of prior to reading this book. It is a very important story. It is heartbreaking, exciting, and hard to read at times, but I also think that the story is one that needs to be heard by everyone. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the current history of Iraq and to anyone interested in the civil affects ISIS has caused in the area.
thisotherbookaccount's review
4.0
Follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thisotherbookaccount
Look, you’re an Iraqi, you live in Mosul, your neighbours tell you that ISIS is coming to town — what do you do? Normal people pack their bags, gather their families and hightail it out of town — but not Abu Laith. Abu Laith is a zookeeper in Mosul. When ISIS forced the Iraqi army to retreat, Abu Laith said, “Let them come! But let me feed my lions first.” Lions and a bunch of other animals, too.
This fantastic book by @louiseelisabetcallaghan documents one man’s relentless defiance against tyranny. Every animal that survives is a middle finger to ISIS, and this story is about how he, with help from his family members and several kind-hearted souls living in the pits of hell, kept a zoo running. Abu Laith is a real character, and Callaghan’s writing really brings the man to life. Even though this is a non-fiction book, Callaghan’s narrative weaves the past and present together like a fictional narrative. I became as invested as Abu Laith as he tried desperately to keep the animals fed.
His efforts can really only go so far, though. ISIS aside, Abu Laith learnt everything about animals by watching National Geographic. So when the animals fell ill due to malnourishment, help had to come from the outside. Callaghan also introduces Doctor Amir, an Egyptian vet whose mission is to rescue animals from rough situations. Instead of calling this book Father of Lions, it really should be fathers, because Doctor Amir had as much to do with the animal’s rescue as Abu Laith.
There’s intrigue, there’s drama, there’s humour, there’s love (WHAT HAPPENED TO HEBA), there are even thriller elements towards the end when the group has to sneak these big animals out of Iraq in the middle of the war. This is a highly recommended book, and I implore you to read it.
Look, you’re an Iraqi, you live in Mosul, your neighbours tell you that ISIS is coming to town — what do you do? Normal people pack their bags, gather their families and hightail it out of town — but not Abu Laith. Abu Laith is a zookeeper in Mosul. When ISIS forced the Iraqi army to retreat, Abu Laith said, “Let them come! But let me feed my lions first.” Lions and a bunch of other animals, too.
This fantastic book by @louiseelisabetcallaghan documents one man’s relentless defiance against tyranny. Every animal that survives is a middle finger to ISIS, and this story is about how he, with help from his family members and several kind-hearted souls living in the pits of hell, kept a zoo running. Abu Laith is a real character, and Callaghan’s writing really brings the man to life. Even though this is a non-fiction book, Callaghan’s narrative weaves the past and present together like a fictional narrative. I became as invested as Abu Laith as he tried desperately to keep the animals fed.
His efforts can really only go so far, though. ISIS aside, Abu Laith learnt everything about animals by watching National Geographic. So when the animals fell ill due to malnourishment, help had to come from the outside. Callaghan also introduces Doctor Amir, an Egyptian vet whose mission is to rescue animals from rough situations. Instead of calling this book Father of Lions, it really should be fathers, because Doctor Amir had as much to do with the animal’s rescue as Abu Laith.
There’s intrigue, there’s drama, there’s humour, there’s love (WHAT HAPPENED TO HEBA), there are even thriller elements towards the end when the group has to sneak these big animals out of Iraq in the middle of the war. This is a highly recommended book, and I implore you to read it.
ginzc's review
4.75
Loved this. I was scared I'd be too upset knowing the general idea of what would be described as an intense animal lover, but although emotional, it was written in a way that made it bareable in the worst moments and utterly worth it. Highly recommend. Also a fascinating look at what reality looked like for those in Mosul and how people were able to survive. Fascinating, entertaining, well written and an immensely beautiful story.
berthe33's review
Received ARC from BookBrowse
Trying to live a "normal" life in Mosul during the Daesh occupation, the main character, Abu Laith, focused on saving the animals in the Mosul zoo...his special friends...sometimes to the detriment of his family. The research and committment of the author to take the reader to an unknown place was astonishing. To get this perspective on the Taliban occupation was educational as well as necessary. The families whose stories are told here bring us into their nightmare. Highly recommended for book clubs that enjoy non-fiction.
Trying to live a "normal" life in Mosul during the Daesh occupation, the main character, Abu Laith, focused on saving the animals in the Mosul zoo...his special friends...sometimes to the detriment of his family. The research and committment of the author to take the reader to an unknown place was astonishing. To get this perspective on the Taliban occupation was educational as well as necessary. The families whose stories are told here bring us into their nightmare. Highly recommended for book clubs that enjoy non-fiction.