Messinger is a real-life version of Amelia Earhart, Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Isac Dineson, rolled into one. A zoologist and former Peace Corps volunteer, she lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or Zaire, for some 14 years.
"Delfi is a superb writer. She handles very complex material in a lucid way. She also has a good grasp on the style of suspense, and there were many very suspenseful moments to be discussed. We spent a year in Kinshasa in '95-'96, as teachers at Tasok. Delfi befriended us, and was our acting veterinarian. We'd brought four cats with us and rescued several more while we were there. The vivacious Minuit, she with the small transparent worms on her eyes, returned to the US with us, made a jaunt to Venezuela and back, and lived to be seventeen. We were deeply committed to our cats and to other species in general, and needed Delphi badly for the care of our cats. She became a friend as well, a touchstone of sanity in a puzzling culture. She often explained cultural differences that were difficult to comprehend. I had little idea, at the time, how deeply she was involved in efforts to transport the bonobos to a safe haven. We knew that she was using skin samples to trace where the captive baby bonobos brought to her for treatment were going. At the same time, she was gobbling up every bit of veterinary knowledge she could read, and was working quite efficiently with a Zairian veterinarian to do veterinary work for the TASOK staff and for the expatriate and local communities. Zaire was a new world to us. The concepts and strategies used by Zairians to survive were largely hidden from us. Delphi was a translator of cultural differences, a good friend, and a very hard-working, highly intelligent person. She also interjected moments of humor when they were needed. I had never heard French spoken quite that way before--with a broad Texan accent. Zaire/the DRC can become addictive to those expatriates who have gone there to do something to help, and who have been able to stay in positions that provide the means to help. Although one leaves exhausted, one soon feels heartbroken to have left. The experience leaves the long term visitor with a strongly altered perspective on the living world. We recommend this book very highly indeed. Well done, Delfi. You are as skilled a writer as you are a thinker, a zoologist, and a friend. Thank you for telling this portion of a vast, true story that needs to be told." Everett Rubel , reader
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
