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A review by thisotherbookaccount
Father of Lions: One Man's Remarkable Quest to Save Mosul's Zoo by Louise Callaghan
4.0
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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.