An Elephant in My Kitchen: What the Herd Taught Me about Love, Courage and Survival

Thula Thula, South Africa, the sanctuary for elephants that Lawrence Anthony created. I have read several books about this amazing man, but now he is gone and his wife works very hard to continue and grow this creation of her husbands. This is her story.<br /><br />The book goes back and forth, from the past and how he and Francoise met, to the present and the struggles of helping orphaned and abused animals. She extends her work to include rhinos, orphaned or left for dead. Heartbreaking, what the poachers do to these animals, just to satisfy man's greed in myths.<br /><br />There are amusing parts as well. An elephant who thinks he is a comedian and one who twirks better than Miley Cyrus. Who knew? Heartwarming stories about triumphs, close connections formed between babies and their caregivers. Distinct personalities and amazing intuitivesnss. <br /><br />Money raising for improvements, expansion, an animal orphanage, hard work, something always needing to be done, created, improved. But triumphs too, joy and love for these animals under their care.i came way from this book appalled by cruelty, but amazed at what Francoise and her crew has done. An amazing woman and an amazing story.

I read ‘The Elephant Whisperer’ by Lawrence Anthony a few years back. It was such a wonderful account of how he saved a herd of traumatised elephants (the matriarch was shot dead in front of the rest of the herd) who would have otherwise been put down, and settled them at Thula Thula. It was sad to read about Lawrence’s death subsequently. I learnt about his wife Francoise’s book very recently. This book takes over from ‘The Elephant Whisperer’ and is a warm &amp; beautiful book as well. <br /><br />Lawrence’s passing is tragic and sudden. In ‘The Elephant Whisperer’ Lawrence recounts the story of the elephant Mnumzane, who had to be put down when he turned violent (later determined due to a painful ulcer), and Lawrence’s ashes are laid near his. Many people who admired him came visiting and so did two herds of the elephants he saved, who just came to the house and sat in mourning. In fact, they return on his first death anniversary as well to the house.<br /><br />Francoise now has responsibilities she is unfamiliar with. Lawrence handled the animals while Francoise took responsibility for managing the bookings, guests and the food. There is very little time to learn, but Francoise is determined to continue Lawrence’s legacy. Francoise really brings out the challenges in running a game reserve like Thula Thula with her account, where your passion to save animals and converse wildlife has to be so strong as to overcome all odds.<br /><br />While poaching figures in ‘The Elephant Whisperer’ as well, in this book it actually dominates the narrative. Francoise is constantly worried about poachers getting to their animals and knows that despite the security investments, the risk is still high. There are several attempts – snares are laid, cause injuries and young rhino calves are shot. She tries first poisoning the rhino horns and later decides to dehorn the rhinos. And yet there is a gruesome attack causing painful injuries &amp; death to animals. The poaching industry is fell funded and tragically there is demand for animal products such as rhino horns, though science considers this worthless. Poachers also have access to drones to track animals. If a species neutral history of the earth is written someday, I am sure the human treatment of animals, both wild and farm, will be considered the worst of evils on earth. <br /><br />There are interesting accounts in the book on how a young elephant who loses his way ends up in Francoise’s house and later kitchen, the lovely elephants, rhinos and their behaviours. I love reading about and watching animals, especially elephants, and that is one of many reasons why I loved this book.

I received this ARC (Advance Readers Copy) from St. Martin’s Press for an unbiased review.<br /><br />This is an absolutely fascinating book. Francoise is the widow of Lawrence Anthony who was known as “The Elephant Whisper”. The book is well written. Her memoir takes up after the death of Anthony as she runs the Thula Thula Games Reserve alone. I found the book triggered a wide range of emotions from sad, frustrated, angry, uplifted to joy. I could not put the book down. Francoise tells of personal and professional life of the challenges to successes. The author implemented a rehabilitation center for orphaned or injured elephants and rhinos. Her biggest problem with running the reserve was the poachers who tried to take advantage of Anthony’s death. Poaching is an old problem that is getting worse; you would think after all this time we could solve it. Of course, she also had to deal with the politics and bureaucracy of operating a big organization. If you enjoy stories about animals, you will enjoy this book. I highly recommend this book. I do hope Francoise writes more books about Thula Thula.<br /><br />I read this as a soft cover 6x9 ARC book. The book is 325 pages published by St. Martin Press in 2018.<br /><br />

For those who find animal emotions and inter-species friendships absorbing, this is a wonderful story about the ways rhinos, hippos, and elephants connect with each other and with humans. <br /><br />Françoise Malay-Anthony was wife to the original <a>Elephant Whisperer</a> himself, Lawrence Anthony, who wrote a book of that name with famed nature-writer Graham Spence about his experiences creating an animal preserve in South Africa, called Thula Thula. At first Thula Thula was simply a preserve for herds of elephants whose habitat was disappearing. Soon it became apparent that poaching of elephant tusks and rhino horns was leaving vulnerable and traumatized babies to fend for themselves in dangerous territory.<br /><br />Thula Thula gradually became known for emergency treatment of large animals prematurely separated from their mothers. A dedicated team of young volunteers from around the world worked hard to save endangered rhinos and baby elephants abandoned by their herd. <br /><br />Leadership for this turn in the direction of Thula Thula, also a game reserve with hotel and bush drives for tourists to bring in money, came at the instigation of Françoise Malby-Anthony after the death of her husband, a time when she was anxious about managing the property without the extraordinary skills her husband possessed. <br /><br />We learn of her vulnerability in light of world-class scam artists who sought to divert from her goal to make the environment better for animals in the wild. Her education in the ways of the wild—the wild world of tusk and horn poaching—is painful.<br /><br />The viciousness of poaching by unscrupulous actors with enormous cash reserves has changed the entire focus of those in Africa seeking to preserve large animal habitat and populations. Trained security has had to devise ingenious methods of divining poachers plans and methods. This change in focus from trying to create a nurturing environment to defending territory and wildlife against indescribable violence is a disheartening change and a difficult way to live. <br /><br />Compare those horrors with a young male elephant seeking the limelight—turning his rump to a jeep full of camera-toting watchers and twerking for the crowd. And an exploration of the character of rhino surprises readers utterly for what it tells us of their fearfulness and gentleness.<br /><br />We likewise meet a hippo initially very suspicious of being asked to step into a green wading pool with a scant amount of water. We meet the handlers who become these distressed animals’ best buddies, teaching them to play despite their trauma, and protecting them as best they can from the nightmares that plague them.<br /><br />If readers enjoy the stories in this book, one absolutely must make an attempt to locate a copy of <a>The Elephant Whisperer</a> referenced above because of what it adds in richness to the story and the description of the environment and told by a world-class raconteur.<br />

Françoise Malby Anthony’s <u>An Elephant in My Kitchen</u> covers the six years of the author’s life following the death of her husband, Lawrence Anthony, conservationist, ecologist and author of <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/6375561.The_Elephant_Whisperer" title="The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony" rel="noopener">The Elephant Whisperer</a>. He died in 2012 at the age of sixty one from a heart attack. Together, from scratch, they had established a wildlife animal reserve, Thula Thula, in Zululand, South Africa. Over these six years she reminisces about the past and learns how to cope with her loss. In this sense the book is autobiographical.<br /><br />Previously in charge of the marketing, finance and paying guests at Thula Thula, now the entire management of the reserve fell on Françoise’s shoulders alone. The responsibility was enormous and fraught with difficulties. Originally a Parisienne, she was not fluent in the Zulu language! In these six years she further expands the reserve into a rehabilitation center for orphaned young, predominantly elephants and rhinos, often traumatized by the poaching incidents they have been lucky enough to survive. <br /><br />We are given the individual stories of the creatures’ saved; the orphans’ stories are excitingly, poignantly and movingly told one by one. We learn of the increasingly profitable and expanding practice of poaching and sale of rhino horn on the black market. Poaching incidents are vividly, heart-wrenchingly drawn. In the telling of the individual stories, tidbits of information about different wildlife animal species are inserted. <br /><br />The book reads as a collection of stories, case studies, separate incidents. One after the other, all related in an exciting manner, I found the reading experience draining. The unrelenting tension is too much, for me at least. . At times it feels exaggerated, written for effect. Events are not told in chronological order. For example, we are told of events in the matriarch elephant Nana’s life, of her death and then again later additional episodes from her life. Rather than being told of the creatures, generation by generation, their stories are jumbled. The reader does not get a proper sense of the continuity of time and the ties that bind mother to child to grandchild. Incidents that occurred when the author’s husband was still alive pepper the episodes about rhinos, elephants, hippopotamus and pet dogs.<br /><br />The author acknowledges the immense help she has received from others and expresses her gratitude toward them. Thula Thula is dependent upon goodwill and pecuniary contributions from others.<br /><br />Roshina Ratnam reads the audiobook. Her narration is fine. It’s good. She reads quickly, but the content is not technical, nor excessively detailed and is thus not hard to follow. The narration I have given three stars. <br /><br />As a whole, I do like this book. I would have preferred less excitement, less pulling of the heartstrings, and more factual information about wild African animals. Tidbits of information <b>are</b> thrown in between the gripping, heart pounding episodes. How much you like this book will depend on what you are looking for—excitement or facts.<br /><br />Th book is written with Katja Willemsen.

I purchased this book immediately after reading the preview that was included in Francoise Malby'-Anthony's husband's book 'The Elephant Whisperer'. Her husbands account of his life in South Africa was a tremendous read and I felt moved to read more, so this book fitted the bill perfectly. While I did not find this book so riveting or moving it was still a good read and the background knowledge from 'The Elephant Whisperer' certainly added to the enjoyment. Some of the accounts in the book were repeated from her husband's book but from her side so not totally wasted on me. Her husband Lawrence died in 2012 and she was left to run the reserve 'Thula Thula' without him, even though she knew very little about conservation. Money was an issue and lacking the experience of Lawrence there were many lessons to learn while others were willing to take advantage of her bad fortune. A nice read but if you were only going to read one of the books I would pick 'The Elephant Whisper'

Lawrence Anthony and Françoise Malby-Anthony, a married couple, ran the Thula Thula Private Game Preserve in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, starting in the 1990’s. Lawrence managed animal conservation and Françoise ran the lodge. Lawrence had written a book, <i>The Elephant Whisperer,</i> which told of the decision to establish Thula Thula and rescue a herd of elephants. When Lawrence died suddenly in 2012, Françoise, a native of France, was thrust into the forefront of the conservation community. Many thought she would return to France, but she had fallen in love with life in the African bush and decided to continue running the preserve. She learned and adapted through experience. She tells her story in this book, picking up where <i>The Elephant Whisperer</i> left off. <br /><br />Malby-Anthony establishes a rehabilitation center, initially targeted at rhinos, to provide a safe haven until they can be reintroduced into the wild. In addition to rhinos, she and her staff care for an orphaned elephant and hippo. This book is replete with heart-warming animal anecdotes and heart-breaking tragedies. Her deep caring for these creatures shines through. The author is a vocal advocate for anti-poaching, particularly regarding rhino horns. Rhino horns are made of keratin, the same substance as our fingernails, yet they are coveted for their imagined healing properties. As she says, <i>"I am constantly confronted by the brutality of poaching and it's hard not to lose faith in mankind, but I have also met so many beautiful people and organizations who remind me not to give up hope." </i><br /><br />I read <i>The Elephant Whisperer</i> last year, and very much enjoyed it, so I was thrilled to receive an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book from the publisher. Anyone who loves African wildlife, has a passion for conservation, or has wondered about the challenges of running a game preserve will enjoy this book. <br />

Years ago I read <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/6375561.The_Elephant_Whisperer" title="The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony" rel="noopener">The Elephant Whisperer</a> (by Malby-Anthony’s late husband) and it made me fall even more in love with elephants and dream of visiting Thula Thula. I was thrilled when I received an ARC for the newest book about Thula Thula, this time written by Francoise Malby-Anthony. Her story picks up life in Thula Thula mostly after the passing of Lawrence (her husband). While there are some older events told from her point of view, the majority of the book are new stories from the conservation. <br /><br />Malby-Anthony gives us a glimpse into the world of elephants, rhinos, and even a baby hippo. Parts of the story were heartbreaking (every instance with poachers made me so angry and teary), but overall this warmed my heart to read about the amazing people helping the animals and also the adorable animals themselves. <br /><br /><i>I received an advanced copy from the publisher in return for an honest review.</i>

<b>4 ☆<i><blockquote> Life is a magnificent cycle of birth and death </blockquote></i></b> <br />In <i>An Elephant in My Kitchen,</i> Francoise Malby Anthony ("Frankie") reminisces about her life with her husband Lawrence Anthony and recounts her struggles to ensure that their dream of wildlife conservation flourishes after his unexpected death in 2012. I learned of Anthony after reading about his madcap but successful 2003 rescue of the Baghdad zoo animals in <i> Babylon's Ark.</i> <br /><br />At the heart of Thula Thula Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre are the elephants and rhinoceros the couple rescued. Shortly after opening Thula Thula ("quiet, shush" in Zulu) in partnership with a local Zulu community in South Africa, they became a refuge for a herd of 7 elephants in 1999. Elephants are led by a matriarch. With the herd's growth to 29 elephants by 2018, Frankie absorbed their leadership lessons such as prioritizing safety before ego. She populates her memoir with distinctive elephant characters from the baby Ellie who loved his paddling pool to the adolescent male Mabula who wiggled his rump for attention.<br /><b> <blockquote>but tragedy and adversity have ways of opening new roads of hope and opportunity </blockquote> </b><br />And despite the sentimental and optimistic tone, there were several stories of death. Refuges exist because of the existence of threats. I've heard the stories of lone poachers who only seek to feed their families. But I was startled by the professional military assault executed by poachers seeking rhino horns. A full grown rhino's horn could fetch a million rands (nearly $54,000) as illegal trade is created by demand for traditional medicine (that haven't been proven effective) in many parts of Asia. As a foreign widow, Frankie and thus Thula Thula's adult rhinos were assumed to be easy targets. It took years of wrangling and mistakes with her delegated management and security teams in the face of escalating threats from poachers before Frankie became more confident in Thula Thula's continued survival. The little army Thula Thula eventually retained was crucial in advancing additional conservation dreams. <br /><br />I initially borrowed the audiobook and overall it was a very easy listen. I'm glad that I had obtained the ebook as well in order to view the photographs; more photographs would have been appreciated. Overall, Frankie's memoir is about optimism and perseverance and that message is stronger than her many dips into emotional anthropomorphic characterizations.

The story is about something with four legs and bit of fur, so of course I give it 5 stars. It was heartbreaking but mostly heartwarming. Francoise had a heart bigger than the animals she was protecting. Actually, she never thought she would HAVE to do what she did. Her husband that started the sanctuary was suddenly gone...killed and she either had to fight to protect the elephant herd or let the poachers kill them.... which thankfully she never considered that an option. There is an attack on an animal orphanage that is horrific, that some may want to by-pass, but overall, the story contains, hope, love, joy and, yes, sorrow, but it also shows why we need to protect our precious wildlife. I sympathized with her...because I worked almost half my life for an organization that was dedicated to doing this. Although my zoo did not have elephants there are 5 other Zoo's in my state that do and donate to Francoise's refuge. We have to really take into consideration that we, as humans, are not exempt nor immune to following the path that so many of the Earth's species have already followed. Extinction is forever.