A review by rebeccazh
The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony
4.0
This is my new type of favorite comfort read. Elephant Whisperer is a chronicle of Lawrence Anthony's adventures on his reserve, and one of the highlights was saving a group of traumatized elephants. I loved every second of it. Anthony is really funny, and the heart-pounding adventures in the bush are told with humor and drama. I LOVED every mention of the various animals on the reserve, and learnt quite a lot about the social structure of elephants, and a bit about various other animals, like mambas and rhinos. The backdrop of this story is very much conservation in Africa, and you pick up bits about the sociocultural dynamics as well.
Of course, the heart and soul of this story is very much the elephants. Just like how Jane Goodall's In the Shadow of Man's best characters were the chimpanzees, the best part about this book were the elephants. At times I felt like I was reading about a human family. I loved the way Anthony described his observations of them, the humanity that he gives them. There were some truly heartbreaking moments, but overall, this is a really feel-good read.
Of course, the heart and soul of this story is very much the elephants. Just like how Jane Goodall's In the Shadow of Man's best characters were the chimpanzees, the best part about this book were the elephants. At times I felt like I was reading about a human family. I loved the way Anthony described his observations of them, the humanity that he gives them. There were some truly heartbreaking moments, but overall, this is a really feel-good read.