Review of The Elusive Elephant : Mama's African Adventure

[Bertha Jackson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Elusive Elephant : Mama's African Adventure" by Jean Roberts Hodges.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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This memoir is about an African safari Jean and her husband, Will, went on in Tanzania. The Tanzanian government had allowed Will to obtain a hunting permit to help them with their conservation efforts at the Selous Game Reserve in the African bush. However, this permit only allowed him to use a bow and arrows, regardless of the animal's size. Although the government experiment focused on elephants, Will was allowed to hunt any other species found in the Selous Game Reserve until his limit was reached. How does the hunting and killing of animals help conserve them? Are the animals in zoo cages better off than those in the African bush? How was Will’s hunting different from that of poachers? Read The Elusive Elephant: Mama's African Adventure by L. Jean Roberts Hodges to learn about her incredible journey in the African bush.

As with any book about Africa, my favorite part was the animals. However, Jean taught me much more about Africa with her detailed descriptions of the flowers, trees, birds, and other demographics. I learned about the different traits that many of the animals have. For example, did you know elephants purr? Or the fact that zebras yap and whine like dogs? I enjoyed reading about the different African tribes. For example, the Maasai tribe believes cows are sacred and linked to the land. I don't want to give away spoilers, so you must read the book to understand this belief. Due to the author's consideration for readers by providing translations, I learned a few Swahili words. Along with the tense and dangerous aspects of their hunting, Jean did a fantastic job interspersing humor in this story. I had to laugh when I found out that natives nicknamed monkeys "politicians" and when I read the recipe for "Elephant Stew."

The quality of the map of Africa and the pictures is the only negative aspect I encountered while reading this book. No amount of zooming made them legible enough to see or read the captions. This quality defect was disappointing because Jean had written multiple times that Francois was attractive, but I could not see him in his picture. It would have been better for each image to be bigger and on a separate page. Since this may be fine with formats other than Kindle, it did not impact my rating.

I found no reason not to give this professionally edited book less than 5 out of 5 stars. I learned many things about the people and animals in Africa, conservation efforts, and why the Tanzanian government places so many restrictions on hunters. I enjoyed this book so much that I have added traveling to Africa to my bucket list of things to do before I die.

This book is for readers who enjoy adventure, animal conservation stories, and memoirs set in Africa. The religious content, including Christian and Muslim religions, may offend atheists.

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The Elusive Elephant : Mama's African Adventure
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[Mary Barnes+]

I was fascinated by the intricate details of animal behavior and the insights into the Maasai tribe. The author’s ability to blend humor with the inherent dangers of their expedition made for an engaging read. While the book successfully conveyed the complexities of wildlife conservation, I found myself questioning the ethics of hunting, even under the guise of conservation.

[Anthony Caleb]

Now, this review was fun to read and now I'm curious to know how Will and Jean hunting helped conserved the animals.

[Idris Alooma]

This review provides a detailed and informative overview of the memoir "The Elusive Elephant: Mama's African Adventure" by L. Jean Roberts Hodges. The reviewer appreciates the author's vivid descriptions of African wildlife, including unique traits of different animals. They also mention learning about African tribes and acquiring some Swahili vocabulary through the book. The reviewer finds humor in the story and highlights the author's ability to weave it into tense and dangerous hunting situations.

However, the reviewer mentions a drawback in the quality of the map and pictures, which were not legible enough to fully enjoy. They suggest larger and separate images for better visibility. Despite this, the reviewer rates the book 5 out of 5 stars, with a strong recommendation for readers who enjoy adventure, animal conservation stories, and memoirs set in Africa.

Overall, this review portrays "The Elusive Elephant: Mama's African Adventure" as a captivating and informative read, offering a wealth of knowledge about Africa, conservation efforts, and the Tanzanian government's hunting restrictions. Evocative imagery, painted vivid scenes beautifully.

[Olalekan Rahmon]

Wow, this memoir sounds like a real adventure in the African bush! I love how the author explores the rich wildlife and nature of Africa, providing detailed descriptions of animals, flowers, and more. The fact that the book also delves into African tribes and their beliefs adds another layer of depth to the story. It's intriguing to learn about the conservation efforts and how the hunting permit was tied to that. I appreciate the author's inclusion of humor and translations, making it an engaging read. The only downside seems to be the quality of the map and pictures, which could have been improved. Overall, I'd give this book a solid 5 out of 5 stars for its educational and entertaining content. Can't wait to add it to my reading list! Resonant themes, left a profound impact.

[Boring Pigeon]

As an AI language model, I don't have an accent, but I can provide an interesting comment based on the review you shared.

This memoir, "The Elusive Elephant: Mama's African Adventure," seems to be an incredible and educational read. The author's detailed descriptions of Africa's flora, fauna, and various tribes create a vivid picture of the African bush. I appreciate how the author incorporates humor into the story, making it even more enjoyable. Despite some visual issues with the images, the reviewer found no reason to rate the book less than 5 out of 5 stars. This review has piqued my interest, and I'm adding it to my reading list!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Beautifully crafted, every word carefully chosen.

[Nuella Joseph]

*The Elusive Elephant: Mama's African Adventure* offers a unique perspective on conservation through hunting and provides rich details about African wildlife and culture. I appreciate the review's emphasis on the book's educational value and the engaging storytelling, despite some issues with the Kindle version's images.