Review #1 - Born Free and Living Free by Joy Adamson.

Elsa and her siblings

These books are priceless in my opinion, the copies I own are over fifty years old. I came aross them by chance in a little second hand shop in Kenmare, a little town in the depths of Co Kerry. Altogether the two books cost me fifteen euro. An extraordinary bargain in my opinion. Upon inspection I realized that the books I own are over fifty years old, older than my father. It still amazes me. There is a piece of writing on the one of the first pages in Born Free, dating from July 1962.

The two books recount the life of Elsa, a lion cub who came into the ownership of Joy and George Adamson while living in Kenya. Joy was an author, painter and naturalist. George was Senior Game Warden of the territory of the Northern Provence of Kenya, a huge mass of terrain, his job was to watch out for poachers and dealing with animals that became particularly dangerous to the people in the area. These books are so detailed you almost feel as though you are walking through Kenya with them.

The covers of the two books

The first book goes on to recount the lives of Elsa and her two siblings growing up in the care of Joy Adamson. Elsa's siblings were named Big One and Lustica. The book is a true, real life account of the responsbilities and events that occurred while raising these cubs. I found myself entranced by the tale. Joy goes into huge detail the care of the cubs,, and documented their growth in a meticulous way. After some time, Elsa's siblings were moved to Rotterdam-Blydorp zoo in Holland and only Elsa remained in Joy's care. There are gorgeous black and white photographs of the cubs throughout the book. I found it amazing to read of the genuinely unbreakable bond between Elsa and her human "parents". Joy also described their pet rock hyrax Pati-Pati who acted as a sort of nanny to the growing cubs. What also fascinated me was the insight into life in Africa during the 1950's.

An adult Elsa

Living Free recounts Elsa's life as an adult lioness.
Elsa had been successfully trained to live in the wild, to hunt and feed herself. Her life continues by mating with a wild lion and giving birth to three wild cubs. Elsa's cubs were named Jespah, Gopa and little Elsa. Despite now living an independent life in the African bush, Elsa still loves and trusts Joy and George unwaveringly, even allowing them to dress her wounds.You learn about the growth of the cubs, from their first sighting as tiny balls of fur with bluish film over their eyes, to their first visit with their mother to the camp where Joy and George were living, to their adventures in their African home.

Joy herself died in 1980 just short of her 70th
birthday. Her cause of death was said to be murder.George her husband was murdered nine years later protecting a tourist from a poacher.These books are heartwarming, suitable for all ages. The pictures are what really sell the book as they are photos taken by Joy herself of Elsa and her siblings and soon after of Elsa and her family. This is a short summary of both books. I didn't want to give too much away. A lot of different events happen throughout each book, you get an insight into fifties Africa, the lives of the tribespeople, other wildlife living on the plains. If you love science, botany, zoology, a good story, adventure or nature then you will love this book.

Pati Pati and Elsa as a cub