An Elephant in My Kitchen

by Françoise Malby Anthony

An Elephant in My Kitchen: What the herd taught me about love, courage and survival.

Paperback

Published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Christine Dosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m surprised that so few of the people who read this book wrote reviews. I’m still thinking about it several days after finishing and having started a new book. I saw a Bing picture of a mother elephant and her little calf yesterday. Previous to reading An Elephant in My Kitchen, I would have reacted with an “awe” to the sweet picture. But now I see a vulnerable calf that is lucky to be with its mother. Don’t be fooled by the cute title of the book. There was an elephant in Francoise Malby-Anthony’s kitchen but it was a rescued calf, not a happy calf. The book itself is far from a comic memoir. The writer is chronicling her years, which continue even now, at Thula Thula Game Reserve, more aptly named now as Thula Thula Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. A previous book, The Elephant Whisperer, was written while Francoise and her husband Lawrence Anthony, were running a lodge and leading game tours of their corner of the South African bush. This book picks up after the sudden death of Lawrence, when Francoise is thrust into more responsibility than she is ready for.

It’s a book about rescuing wild animals that have been horrifically preyed upon by poachers. That’s why the tiny elephant in the kitchen is there. It has been separated from its mother and won’t survive unless Francoise and the team she developed can keep it alive. The book is full of such rescues. Many animals are rehabilitated, but several don’t make it. The process of the rescuing is fascinating and much more complicated and heart rending than I would ever have imagined. I applaud the authors for not sugar coating any of it. I deeply admire Malby-Anthony for her persistence through frightening years.

You should also know that even though there is an elephant in the title and pictures of elephants on the cover, there are many chapters dealing with the results of Rhinoceros horn poaching. The most difficult portions of the book are when Rhino friends are attacked inside the rehab centre. I mean friends—each animal is named and each animal is loved.

Don’t shy away from this book if you are interested in African animals. It will break your heart and make you angry, but you need to know what is really happening. Sweet pictures of elephants are one thing, the truth about the dangers of their lives is another.

[AttackGirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm so now the wife is the whisperer like the 1st lady is President…


Ah NO! Which becomes very obvious.

[Tariq Engineer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darker than The Elephant Whisperer. There's poaching and betrayal and heartbreak. It's a testament to Francoise's character that she continued to persevere and fight to protect the animals.

[Gayle Crossley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful non fiction story of a conservation site in South Africa. Many elephants, some hippos and rhinos. Fascinating!

[Dizzyb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book to read while on safari in Kenya. What a couple, what a vision and what a brave and wonderful realisation their dream was.