A Zoo in My Luggage

The Zoo Memoirs Series - Book 1

A Zoo in My Luggage

By Gerald Durrell
$8.75 $17.50
Save 50.0%
Quantity:
window.theme = window.theme || {}; window.theme.preorder_products_on_page = window.theme.preorder_products_on_page || [];

“Expertly narrated by Rupert Degas…Durrell’s enthusiasm for all manner of fauna is ably conveyed by Degas, as is his gift for wry, fanciful description…Durrell writes with Dickensian relish, ably assisted by Degas’s tremendous facility with character voices, and with accents that range from West African pidgin to Argentinian Spanish, German, French, Malagasy, and parrot…Less showy than these verbal pyrotechnics but no less masterful is Degas’ interpretation of Durrell himself, droll and slightly posh, with a wry appreciation for the foibles and eccentricities of man and beast alike, anchored by an earnest, clear-eyed sense of kinship with every living thing. Alternately breezy, curmudgeonly, fascinated, and bemused, Degas perfectly captures Durrell’s spirit, and the abundant charm of his literary escapades, which are certain to divert and educate listeners of almost any age.”

Booklist (audio review)

A Zoo in My Luggage is the colourful, first-hand account of Gerald Durrell’s six-month animal-collecting trip in British Cameroon, and his attempts to create his own zoo. Motivated by a passion for wildlife, and a desire to save endangered species from extinction, Durrell assembles a glorious panoply of exotic animals – including a female baboon called Georgina, who later runs amok in a department store; a black-eared squirrel, who tries to bury nuts in his ear; and a gentlemanly chimpanzee named Chumly, who greets him with an outstretched hand. Aided by the Fon of Bafut, who houses the collection (and hosts many long and lively parties), Durrell amasses more than 250 animals. He struggles to find a home for the animals back in England, until a stroke of luck leads him to Jersey, and the eventual founding of Durrell Wildlife Park (now Jersey Zoo).