Lovely uplifting book

This is a lovely book with a real feel-good story. When listening I felt I was really able to visualise being in Kenya amongst the many animals described in the book. Even if you are not an animal lover I think you would enjoy this book. The relationships described both amongst the animals and between the animals and the humans are heart warming. Perhaps at times the descriptions were a little lengthy but generally I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

2 people found this helpful

Beautifully narrated tale of an interesting life

Cannot recommend this highly enough. Having at first thought I might find it too distressing, I soon found that the style of writing, and narration, manage to tell the story of this lady's extraordinary life and works with compassion but without undue sentimentality. You go through sadness, relief, anger and wonder and admittedly the occasional tear, but ultimately it is an uplifting story in many ways and well worth a listen.

1 person found this helpful

A lovely story beautifully narrated

This is a lovely uplifting book and it is indeed an African love story, an endearing one about the life work of Daphne and David Sheldrick on the preservation of widlife in Kenya and the ever present menace of paching and human greed. It is also a story of love, beautifully narrated by Virginia McKenna. This is one of the not so common situations where the narration makes perfect justice to the book, conveying the emotions that one can perceive from Daphne Sheldrick's lovely writing. Highly recommended.

Great knowledge shared in a wonderful way

especially entertaining and poignant for anyone with an African upbringing, but also a love of animals

inspiring & emotional

one of the most beautiful, incredible true stories, I've heard. The pure tenacity if Daphne, David Bill and their family helping the wind animals in Kenya against poachers is inspiring, a legacy to Africa. I cannot recommend more highly this book.

The best read ever! So heart warming

Absolutely beautiful. Read beautifully too. Very touching book I cried a few times and also very happy to learn such wonderful humans exist. Elephants are my favourite animals and rhino's. So I cannot wait to raise money for her amazing charity and visit the sanctuary x

Wonderful book.

Written and read from the heart. True feeling of Africa and the wildlife. Didn't want it to ever finish.

Passionate story of deep love for man and animals

Really enjoyed this biography from a bygone era starting in colonial times all the way to the present day.

the authors love and passion for her family whether its her husband and human family to her live and compassion for her animal family.

what a worthwhile life!!

Learning to listen to Elephants through compassionate men and woman.

This books charm is definitely the reader, who captivated for me, the real life emotions of this life story. It was hard to put it down as each chapter left me in suspense to listen to yet another chapter, well into the night on some occasions. My sincere thanks to Daphne for her courage, following her second husbands death, and to Joy who made Daphine's life come alive for me.

Fantastic audio book

This book was gifted to me upon leaving my job, and beforehand I made a request to my work colleagues to donate any money that was collected as a present for me leaving to the David Sheldrake Wildlife Trust. They sponsored "Jotto" the elephant in my name and purchased this book.
I really wanted to read it but could not find the time, therefore I paid for the audio book which was beautifully narrated with dignity and passion. I do not believe anyone else could have read it better than Virginia.
I found this book incredibly interesting and didn't want it to end! it made me laugh and cry so many times. As a person who knows how intelligent and cheeky animals are, it really hit a raw nerve in regard to the human disregard for animals.
Daphne has had such a wonderful life and a really tough one at the same time, she is right when she says that you never get used to the death of an animal/friend and she has had more than her fair share.
This is a fantastic book, the beauty of it is when you own the actual book too you can see the photos of the animals and people that are mentioned in the book, its great! I would highly recommend this audio book and I would also urge you to buy the actual book too!