Zoo World: Essays

by Mary Quade

We contain the elements of our world in archives, boxes, collections, mausoleums, history books, and museums, trying to stave off their eventual disappearance from our memory and from the earth in a futile attempt at redemption for our violence against them. In  Zoo World,  Mary Quade examines our propensity for damage, our relationships with other species, our troubling belief in our own dominion, and the reality that when you put something in a cage, it becomes your responsibility. Her subjects are as eclectic as mallard ducks, ancient churches, monarch butterflies, classrooms, tourism, street markets, zoos, and dairy cows and as global as migration, war, language, and climate change. Whatever the topic at hand,  Zoo World  considers how our stewardship of the earth and one another falls short, hoping that a more humble understanding of our place on the planet might lead not only to our mutual survival but also to the extinction of our hubris as human beings. Replete with Quade’s lyrical and observational gifts and refusing to let any of us off the hook in the name of inspiration or comfort, these essays are a fresh take on travel and nature writing, pushing both in thrilling new directions.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature

230 pages, Paperback

Published September 19, 2023

Reviews

[Crystal books_inthewild · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am over the moon that I was able to read an advanced copy of Zoo World- in short, it is one of the most clever, poetic, and interesting nonfiction books I’ve read.

In each essay, author Mary Quade essentially tells two different “stories” back and forth, juxtaposing some sort of theme or topic or opinion… and it just works. As you hop from one unique topic, to the next, and back again, everything starts to click & you begin to see a creative connection, and think… “ah- that’s why”
For example, bug collecting and her religious experience growing up. That line at the end of that essay, I just thought, wow.

From oil spills and the vulnerability of baby ducklings, to Monarch butterflies & endangered animals, plastic bags & humpback whales, Vietnam, caged birds, and prisons, Ecuador and chicken foot soup. Each and every essay brought an interesting story, a unique piece of history, or some bit of science that really made me think.

My favourite essay was “The Galapagos Shooting Gallery”-
When she writes about the “salvage” expeditions of hunting critically endangered creatures for the sake of research & preserving them.. she really presents it in a way that makes you think critically about the treatment of endangered animals: do the “ends justify the means”? Were their methods wrong, but for the right reasons? Are we learning from mistakes of the past?

This was truly a remarkable book- and I will absolutely be looking for more from this author.

If you enjoy science, history, nature- thinking critically about the world around you- poetic writing- nonfiction essays that tell a story… there’s something in this for every reader.
Available September 2023