mmarques's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
At the start of this memoir, I didn’t like the author. She seemed shallow and a bit selfish. However, her time volunteering at a Bolivian animal rescue park transformed her.
This memoir is about more than the author and the specific animals that she cares for. Because she spends so much time over many years at the park, we also see the effects of farming, hunting, and climate change on this portion of the Amazon.
This memoir is about more than the author and the specific animals that she cares for. Because she spends so much time over many years at the park, we also see the effects of farming, hunting, and climate change on this portion of the Amazon.
alicia_joy's review
3.0
3.5 stars. I didn't not like this book, but I didn't love it. I found myself doing a lot of skimming, especially in the 2nd half.
dextersonntag's review
4.0
Fascinating!
I loved this non-fiction read. Couldn’t help but fall in love with the animals and authors journey. All the feels!
I loved this non-fiction read. Couldn’t help but fall in love with the animals and authors journey. All the feels!
melissabeth's review
5.0
Beautifully written!
This book opened my eyes and my heart to the hard work and dedication to these animals who are cared for my amazing people. This book transports you to a wildlife sanctuary in the Amazon jungle. Rich with imagery, beautifully written moving memoir about connections of people and the relationships with animals they care for. Highly recommend this book!
This book opened my eyes and my heart to the hard work and dedication to these animals who are cared for my amazing people. This book transports you to a wildlife sanctuary in the Amazon jungle. Rich with imagery, beautifully written moving memoir about connections of people and the relationships with animals they care for. Highly recommend this book!
emilykathleenwrites's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is probably the most compelling memoir I've ever read in both its exciting scenes and in the way, it forced me to consider the environment and my privileged place on this planet. The nature writing is beautiful.
There are so many themes tackled in this book, but the one that stood out the most was the idea of home, not feeling at home, finding home, leaving home, and coming back, and all of the feelings around returning to a place the is exactly the same, but where everything has changed.
I also appreciated how she highlighted the PTSD experienced by the long-term employees and volunteers. I felt the uphill, impossible task ahead of them and how hard it must be to know when you need to leave to keep from going mad.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is probably the most compelling memoir I've ever read in both its exciting scenes and in the way, it forced me to consider the environment and my privileged place on this planet. The nature writing is beautiful.
There are so many themes tackled in this book, but the one that stood out the most was the idea of home, not feeling at home, finding home, leaving home, and coming back, and all of the feelings around returning to a place the is exactly the same, but where everything has changed.
I also appreciated how she highlighted the PTSD experienced by the long-term employees and volunteers. I felt the uphill, impossible task ahead of them and how hard it must be to know when you need to leave to keep from going mad.
jlworley's review
5.0
4.5 stars. Really great memoir about becoming who you are, and a love story about a big cat and the broken world we live in.
giana_vitale's review
5.0
This is a super powerful retelling of one woman's journey falling in love with a rescued puma and finding herself along the way. It is a testament to the power, beauty, and danger of the jungle and the passion and willpower of the volunteers who fight to keep it alive. I am grateful for this reminder that my disconnection from nature does not mean that deforestation and climate change are not constantly chipping away at what little remains of our rainforests. This story made me angry, made me cry, broke my heart, and brought a giant smile to my face. Thank you, Laura and Wayra, and all the volunteers at CIWY, for sharing your love of the jungle with me.