We Bought a Zoo is (former?) journalist Ben Mee's memoir about his family's 2006 purchase of what was formerly the Dartmoor Wildlife Park in Devon County, England.
The book was a quick read, detailing the family's decision to pursue the purchase of the park that has since been reopened and is now called the Dartmoor Zoological Park. The book also briefly touches on the illness and death of Ben's wife, Katherine, from glioblastoma (an aggressive form of brain cancer).
There were some very humorous parts and some very sad parts, but the emotion of the book is not so overwhelming that a reader is left feeling drained by its conclusion.
While the movie of the same name is only loosely based on the actual story, I am still interested in the film, which I believe is well done (hello - directed by Cameron Crow and starring Matt Damon) and interesting. And, being that I am a life-long animal lover, I'm now more interested in this family-run zoological park who has as one of its primary goals conservation and breeding of high-risk animals, I'm even more glad that I picked this book up.
Next up is a book I started several weeks ago and had to put down while in the midst of the semester - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. I promise to let you know what I think.
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