Review: Cry of the Kalahari

Title: Cry of the Kalahari

Author: Mark and Delia Owens

Publisher: 12th October 2021 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 434 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: non fiction, animals, adventure, culture Africa

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

The incredible memoir by international bestselling author of ‘Where The Crawdad's Sing’, Delia Owens and her partner Mark Owens', charting their time researching wildlife in the Kalahari Desert. Reissued and in full colour, for the first time since its original publication.

Carrying little more than a change of clothes and a pair of binoculars, two young Americans, Mark and Delia Owens, caught a plane to Africa, bought a thirdhand Land Rover, and drove deep into the Kalahari Desert. There they lived for seven years, in an unexplored area with no roads, no people, and no source of water for thousands of square miles. In this vast wilderness the Owenses began their zoology research, working along animals that had never before been exposed to humans.

An international bestseller on original release, Cry of the Kalahari is the story of the Owenses's life with lions, brown hyenas, jackals, giraffes, and the many other creatures they came to know. It is also a gripping account of how they survived the dangers of living in one of the last and largest pristine areas on Earth.

My Thoughts

‘The sky deepened. I lay back in the straw-colored grass, and pressing my fingers into the rough surface of the riverbed, as I had so many times before, I wondered how long the Kalahari would belong to the wild.’

Having lived and worked in Africa, I am always eager to read stories from that conflicted continent. ‘Cry of the Kalahari’, originally published in 1984, is being reissued with full colour photos for the first time and I highly recommend it. It was a wake up call almost forty years ago and, sadly, would appear to remain seemingly relevant today. 

Mark and Delia Owens devoted much of their life to conservation. This book details their first seven years of studying the Botswana wildlife, particularly lions and brown hyenas. Here you will read about what would have been the adventure of a lifetime, especially given the situation in the early 80s, namely the lack of communication. The hardships they endured on a daily basis seem so unreal but this is very much a factual account. To balance it out however, they bring such joy to what they did and through the sharing of their immersive lifestyle of living  in such remoteness, we can learn and feel so much. 

‘We had to remind ourselves that they were wild lions. What we felt at such times could not be expressed with any one of the usual emotional terms. It was an amalgam, really, of several emotions: excitement, gratitude, warmth, companionship.’

It would be remiss of me not to draw attention to the proverbial elephant in this review - Delia Owens of Where The Crawdads Sing fame. Having read that novel, having read this current book and having been inspired to read more about the work of Delia and Mark Owens, I have to admit to being intrigued by the seeming correlations of Delia’s experiences adapted to her fictional sensation of Where The Crawdads Sing. Fascinating to consider. 

This is truly an inspiring read of a young couple dedicating seven years of their life to studying the wildlife of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana. Tenacious, brave and seemingly fearless, they pushed on through many hardships in an effort to understand and preserve a very special part of our world. A must read for anyone interested in wildlife and conservation.

‘It’s difficult to describe the excitement and joy we felt. We had found our Eden. Yet we were very anxious not to disturb the intricate patterns of life that were going on around us. Here was a place where creatures did not know of man’s crimes against nature. Perhaps, if we were sensitive enough to the freedom of these animals, we could slip unnoticed into this ancient river valley and carefully study its treasures without damaging it. We were determined to protect one of the last untouched corners of earth from ourselves.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Zookeeper of Belfast

Title: The Zookeeper of Belfast

Author: S. Kirk Walsh

Publisher: 30th March 2021 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 336 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, world war II, Ireland, animals

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

As the bombs rain down on the city, Belfast's first ever female zookeeper must fight to save the baby elephant in her charge in this gripping, uplifting tale based on a true story.

1941. With the men away fighting, animal-lover Hettie Quin is made Belfast Zoo's first ever female zookeeper. She is put in charge of Violet, a three-year-old Indian elephant, and they soon form a special bond. With Violet at her side, Hettie can almost escape the grim reality of her life: the father who has abandoned her family; the sister who recently died; the war that's raging hundreds of miles away.

But the devastation of war is closer than she thought. When the bombs begin to rain down on the city, Hettie must gather all her courage to protect those she loves the most. Can she save Violet - and get through unscathed herself?

Based on a true story, The Zookeeper of Belfast is a gripping and uplifting tribute to what one woman's courage and tenacity can achieve in the most dire of circumstances - perfect for fans of Heather Morris, Natasha Lester, Kate Furnivall, Mandy Robotham and Fiona Valpy.

My Thoughts

 “I’ve heard about you and Violet,” Samuel said. “That you spend all your waking hours with this elephant. That you’re becoming one of those freak people who can only get along with animals. That you haven't been right in the head since your sister.”

Here is another book with a cover that draws me in being the elephant lover that I am. With all my WWII reading, I had never really encountered much with regards to the bombing of Belfast. Little did I know that this would be just the beginning of much I was  to discover from this well researched and written tale. 

Beginning in October, 1940 the reader is introduced to Hettie who is working hard to be taken seriously as a full-time zookeeper in a world where these positions are normally taken by men. Longing to care for the newly acquired elephant, Violet, she begins to form a special bond as the relationship fills a void in the many sad occurrences Hettie has had to deal with of recent times. The main theme is therefore one of coming of age for Hettie and one cannot help but sympathise for this young girl and all she endures - love, loss, grief and resilience.

 ‘He didn’t care about her. He was never going to complete her. Perhaps the truth was that no one was ever going to complete her, no one would ever be able to fill the gully of loneliness and sadness that seemed to be deepening inside her ...’

There is, however, a strong selection of subplots throughout this story that really add to the depth of engagement for the reader. Life in Ireland at this time is fraught with tension due to the war and, being set in Belfast there is of course, IRA tensions with some residents willing to support Hitler should it see the removal of the British. Add to that the ever present tension between Protestants and Catholics to add to an already volatile scene. 

‘I have no choice but to follow the directive of the Ministry of Public Security. We all know another attack by the Germans is imminent. Next time, the animals could run free and endanger the lives of Belfast’s citizens..’

Then there are the stories pertinent to running a zoo in war time - rationing, for example, if the humans were rationing then so too would it affect the animals. Would they be allowed to starve? What happens also when structural damage to the zoo occurs due to the bombing and the possibility of animals escaping is both a high possibility not to mention frightening one. How would that be dealt with? There are chapters and scenes that, readers must be warned, are absolutely heartbreaking. 

‘The calls of the animals soared into a vortex of cries and screams while the Germans continued to bomb Belfast. All of it was breaking upon Hettie  - the horror, the sadness, the loss - at once.’

This is truly a touching and well written story. The relationship between Hettie and Violet is heartfelt - all the more so because it is based on real events. To become immersed in a young girls life as she faces, not only the usual coming of age issues, but also the utter devastation of WWII and the IRA is truly tragic. I learnt so much and recommend this read should some of the facts presented be new to you too. 

 ‘Now she had Violet, and the elephant seemed to set the world on its right axis and align things in such a way that nothing else mattered ... Hettie was doing better than ever, thanks to Violet and her other charges at the zoo. Didn’t Josephine agree that animals had this power? The ability to enchant and delight during the toughest of times.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Nala's World

Title: Nala's World

Author: Dean Nicholson

Publisher: 1st October 2020 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 258 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: nonfiction, travel, autobiography, animals

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

Instagram phenomenon @1bike1world Dean Nicholson reveals the full story of his life-changing friendship with rescue cat Nala and their inspiring adventures together on a bike journey around the world.

When 30-year-old Dean Nicholson set off from Scotland to cycle around the world, his aim was to learn as much as he could about our troubled planet. But he hadn't bargained on the lessons he'd learn from his unlikely companion.

Three months after leaving home, on a remote road in the mountains between Montenegro and Bosnia, he came across an abandoned kitten. Something about the piercing eyes and plaintive meowing of the bedraggled little cat proved irresistible. He couldn't leave her to her fate, so he put her on his bike and then, with the help of local vets, nursed her back to health.

Soon on his travels with the cat he named Nala, they forged an unbreakable bond - both curious, independent, resilient and adventurous. The video of how they met has had 20 million views and their Instagram has grown to almost 750k followers - and still counting!

Experiencing the kindness of strangers, visiting refugee camps, rescuing animals through Europe and Asia, Dean and Nala have already learned that the unexpected can be pretty amazing. Together with Garry Jenkins, writer with James Bowen of the bestselling A Street Cat Named Bob, Dean shares the extraordinary tale of his and Nala's inspiring and heart-warming adventure together.

My Thoughts

I had always been good at fixing and building stuff, but I hadn’t built much of a life for myself ... I felt that by hitting the road and spending time in another part of the world, I might somehow find myself. Or, at least, find a way of being myself. Someone said to me once that I hit the road to find a road. That seemed about right.’

I have been an avid follower of Dean and Nala since they were featured by The Dodo video. Every morning I need my ‘Dean and Nala’ fix to get me through the day. Being both a lover of travel and cats, there was just so much to enjoy about his Instagram account. Could there really be any more to share than what we had seen across social media? There certainly was and this highly anticipated book lived up to expectations. 

I was super excited to read this book. It provided so much more detail and insight into the journey of Dean and Nala since they first met. Through reading this, Dean has grown in my esteem tremendously so with the integrity and honesty he has displayed throughout this epic adventure. The way he truthfully details his own personal growth and the love he has for Nala - and indeed the entire animal kingdom - is inspiring. 

‘Nala had splayed herself out next to me, as content as could be, soaking up the last rays of the sun and without a care in the world. I looked at her and shook my head. In some ways, I envied her. She had no work responsibilities. No bills to pay, no possessions, no pressures. Lucky her. I’ve always felt that the more people have, the more they have to worry about. Life should be about the simple pleasures. Moments like this. Sunsets, sunrises over     deserted beaches. A couple of beers with friends. It doesn’t have to be complicated.’

To think about how much this man’s life has changed through the meeting of this sweet kitty is mind blowing. To then have Dean take this uncalled for fame and turn into promoting and supporting needy charities is highly commendable. His passion for the environment and animal rescue is inspiring and he has used all that has fallen into his lap for the promotion of positive change. Who does not want to read about that? 

Nala’s World is an exceptional memoir by Dean  - a travelogue, a cat story, a pedestal for the promotion of the environment and animal welfare - all tied together with a personal growth story of this lively Scottish soul. Dean and Nala, and indeed the range of people who cross their paths, take large leaps in restoring one’s faith in humanity. I am so excited to continue to witness their journey through social media and hope that there might be future instalments to read once COVID allows it to be so. 

‘At another time, in different circumstances, I might have felt disappointed or frustrated to be doubling back on myself. But I didn't feel that way at all. For a start, if the past few months had proven anything it was that my journey around the world wasn’t going to look like anyone else’s. It wasn’t going to run in a straight line or conform to some well-trodden path. I was travelling in Nala's worlds after all. And as long as I had her beside me, that was fine. We’d look after each other.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.