The Elephants of Thula Thula

The Elephants of Thula Thula

By: Francoise Malby-Anthony
Read by the author

Published 25 April 2023
my review 4 out of 5 stars

Françoise Malby-Anthony's The Elephants of Thula Thula is a powerful, gripping story about an extraordinary herd of elephants and the woman dedicated to keeping them safe.

‘Somehow, the elephants got into my soul, and it became my life’s work to see them safe and happy. There was no giving up on that vision, no matter how hard the road was at times.’

Françoise Malby-Anthony is the owner of a game reserve in South Africa with a remarkable family of elephants whose adventures have touched hearts around the world. The herd’s feisty matriarch Frankie knows who’s in charge at Thula Thula, and it’s not Francoise. But when Frankie becomes ill, and the authorities threaten to remove or cull some of the herd if the reserve doesn’t expand, Françoise is in a race against time to save her beloved elephants . . .

The joys and challenges of a life dedicated to conservation are vividly described in The Elephants of Thula Thula. The search is on to get a girlfriend for orphaned rhino Thabo—and then, as his behaviour becomes increasingly boisterous, a big brother to teach him manners. Françoise realizes a dream with the arrival of Savannah the cheetah—an endangered species not seen in the area since the 1940s—and finds herself rescuing meerkats kept as pets. But will Thula Thula survive the pandemic, an invasion from poachers and the threat from a mining company wanting access to its land?

As Françoise faces her toughest years yet, she realizes once again that with their wisdom, resilience and communal bonds, the elephants have much to teach us.

While I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review, all opinions remain my own. This is the story of a woman caretaker of a wildlife preserve in South Africa. It includes the details of how she was able to not only survive the covid-19 pandemic (not losing her business, the elephant preserve) but thrive. They were able to expand the preserve to his current status. I loved the stories not only about the elephants and other animals, but about the people. I plan on checking out the first book written by Malby-Anthony soon. Seeing what she's done to help preserve the wild elephants in South Africa is just amazing.

Starter Dog

Starter Dog: My path to joy, belonging and loving this world 

By Rona Maynard 

Narrated by the author 

Published April 18, 2023 

My review: 3.5 out of 5 stars 

An irresistible tale of reluctant dog ownership full of heart, humor, and wisdom

Rona Maynard wants to love her life again. Stuck in the what-next doldrums after quitting a big job, she needs a new bridge to the world. So, well into their married life, she lets her husband talk her into their first dog, a rescue mutt named Casey. Rona frets about shedding, lost travel opportunities, and arguments about walking duty. She doubts she can love a dog. But when Casey romps through her door, Rona falls hard. Over time he gives her what no human could—a new way of seeing and a pathway to the heart of a moment. Her downtown neighborhood reveals its true face as she explores it with Casey, making new friends and discovering hidden beauty spots. She learns to have adventures on her own stomping ground. Through Casey, Rona falls in love with the world and her place in it, an animal among other animals.

Although I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my review, all opinions remain my own. Thank you NetGalley and ECW Press Audio for the opportunity to listen.

This book is about a reluctant dog owner's journey both to getting a dog and then figuring out that she was in fact a "dog person" and her life would never be the same without Casey. I loved seeing Rona's opinion of dogs slowly change through this book. I loved how Casey rubbed off on her and showed her how much the world had to offer. Casey, a rescue dog, rescued her and her husband from a boring retirement and showed them a new reality through his eyes. This was a quick listen and mostly uplifting. The best part, the book ends and the dog is still living! :D

Bear

Bear

By Been Queen

Illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton

Published September 2, 2020 

My rating 5 out of 5 stars 

Bear is a guide dog for the blind, and he would do anything for his best friend and owner, Patrick. But when Bear suddenly loses his own vision, he worries that he has lost his purpose! Determined to protect Patrick at all costs, Bear sets out on a quest to regain his eyesight. Along the way Bear will learn to tap into his other senses and begin to see the world from a new perspective that is at times more rich and colorful than the world he's always known. 

Writer Ben Queen (Disney/Pixar's Cars 2 and Cars 3) draws inspiration from real life stories of how memory can influence how we recall our own surroundings, and artist Joe Todd-Stanton (A Mouse Called Julian) lovingly renders an unforgettable story of one dog's grand adventure from the wooded countryside to the heart of Manhattan where he encounters new friends and discovers his true calling.

This is an illustrated story of a guide dog for a blind man. All his life, Bear (the dog) has known that he's going to have a job, he's been trained specifically to help his best friend and owner. 

One day, he wakes up without his own vision and is afraid he's lost not only his job, but his purpose in life. In this book, we follow Bear through his amazing adventure as he learns to use his other senses and "see" the world around him from a different view-point. 

The author and illustrator work together just beautifully. Bear "sees" the world around him in his mind, like the bear den he stumbles into is a den with an armchair and fireplace. It is simply a book you will have to read and see to understand. 

I was able to borrow this book from my local library using the Hoopla service, but it is for sale, available on Kindle or hardcover.

The Possibility Dogs: What a Handful of "Unadoptables" Taught Me about Service, Hope, and Healing

The Possibility Dogs: What a Handful of "Unadoptables" Taught Me about Service, Hope, and Healing

Written and Narrated by: Susannah Charleson

Listening length: 11 hours, 18 minutes 

Published June 4, 2013

My review 4 out of 5 stars 

From the author of the critically acclaimed bestseller, Scent of the Missing, comes a heartwarming and inspiring story that shows how dogs can be rescued and can rescue in return.

For her first book, Susannah Charleson was praised for her unique insight into the kinship between humans and dogs, as revealed through canine search and rescue. In The Possibility Dogs Charleson chronicles her journey into the world of psychiatric-service and therapy dogs trained to serve the human mind, a journey that began as a personal one. After a particularly grisly search led to a struggle with PTSD, Charleson credits healing to her partnership with search dog Puzzle. Inspired by that experience and having met dogs formally trained to assist in such crises, Charleson learns to identify abandoned dogs with service potential, often plucking them from shelters at the last minute, and how to train them for work beside hurting partners, to whom these second-chance dogs bring intelligence, comfort, and hope.

From black Lab puppy Merlin, once cast away in a garbage bag, who stabilizes his partner's panic attacks to Ollie, the blind and deaf terrier who soothes anxious children, to Jake Piper, the starving pit bull mix who goes from abandoned to irreplaceable, The Possibility Dogs illuminates a whole new world of canine potential.


This is such an interesting book. Susannah spends most of her life working with dogs in search and rescue for years. In this book she speaks of the possibility of using dogs, specifically those rescued, to be trained to help as psychiatric service and therapy dogs. Susannah shares not only her work with many of her personal dogs but also a very special puppy she has. In this book are also the stories of several other psychiatric-service dogs who do an invaluable service to their owner-trainers and help them live a richer and fulfilled life. This book shines a light on a service that dogs can do that isn't very often talked about. Too often the "working dog" is questioned, when what we should really be doing is helping to make sure that these dogs are given the respect they deserve. It is unbelievable what some of these once abandoned dogs learn to do in their new lives. As the back of the book says, "dogs can be rescued and can rescue in return." I can say from personal experience, even dogs not trained to be in service, are emotional support animals. <3

Cats Find You.

Hope, Happiness and a Cat Called Sticky

by Chuck Hawley and Nadya Siapin

Published December 8, 2022

My review 4 out of 5 stars

I read this book to complete a prompt in the Boise Public Library Ultimate Book Nerd challenge: Read a book by a Pacific Northwest Author

Sticky the Kitty won the hearts of people around the world… But what is the deeper story behind this beloved cat?

When Chuck Hawley left his house on October 19, 2019, he could have never imagined a kitten was about to change his entire life. But change his life, it did.

Chuck believes that kindness keeps the world turning. Through the unconditional love of his grandmother and family, he learned the lessons that he now lives. In this powerfully personal memoir, he shares:
- The highs and lows of teenage stardom
- The struggles of single parenting
- Finding peace with himself
- How our actions create a ripple effect on the world around us

This story is about hope, kindness, believing you have a purpose, magic and even angels… but most importantly, it’s about you. If this random guy and this thrown away kitten can do all of this, what might you be able to do?

You might have heard the story, back on October 18, 2019, Chuck was on his way to work on a regular day when he found a kitten GLUED TO THE ROAD. After he took that kitten home and saved it, he became the hero the world needed. 

Chuck's story isn't just the tale of finding Sticky that foggy October morning, but the before and the after. His coming into fame and how he dealt with it. How the Sticky Foundation came to be and how he is using his influence to spread joy. 

This is really just an inspiring story of how one man used a good deed to spread good around the globe in a time when it was so desperately needed. Filled with many short stories of people who also touched his life (while he also was touching theirs). Plus, a cute kitty named sticky. What's not to love?

I found this story especially fun because I lived about 45 minutes from where Sticky was rescued. It was literally in my backyard and exploded into a global story.