4.5

Absolutely beautiful. I related so much to the main character. The only thing I did not love was the long chapters in the book. Otherwise, incredible imagery and character development.

I had to take my time with this one, as an animal lover hearing her emotion surrounding the animals in the park was both wonderful and difficult to process. This book makes me wish I could save the world, I am so impressed with what she has done since first visiting the park and am grateful for the awareness this book provided me.

"I remember my life before, when animals were just animals, and I hate myself for it. How could I have ever thought this? And how could I have ever thought I was any different from them?"

"And I’m so lucky to be able to choose. This is the gift of my privilege."

"She’s changed the world for me, opened a window and pulled me through in such a way that I can never go back."

I thought this was a really great memoir, even for people that maybe don't typically gravitate towards memoirs. I listened to the audiobook read by the author, which I highly recommend. I learned a lot about the animals and the mission and loved the humor sprinkled in. This book broke my heart several times over, but it's definitely one of the most interesting memoirs I have ever read.

Inspiring & Tragic

This is a fascinating memoir of Herculean efforts in Bolivia by volunteers to care for animals that have been abused, stolen, or injured as a result of the exotic pet trade, deforestation, and the changing climate. Laura Coleman is a wonderful writer and has to be an even better person. I will think about this book and these animals plight going forward.

In a nutshell… a great memoir but there are only so many times one can describe a pumas coat or the colour of it’s eyes without the reader rolling their eyes.