Captivity: A Novel

by Debbie Lee Wesselmann

When someone releases the chimpanzees at the South Carolina Primate Project, its director, Dana Armstrong, is forced to confront the complexity of both her past and the present as she struggles to preserve the chimps' sanctuary.“A South Carolina chimpanzee sanctuary affiliated with a university provides the unusual setting for Wesselmann’s powerful second novel. . . . The stirring stories of Dana Armstrong and her family play out in unforgettable fashion. With empathetic insight, the author precisely observes both human and animal behavior.”Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Debbie Lee Wesselmann states that her goal as a storyteller is to keep the reader turning pages until late into the night. That statement should come as a warning label on Captivity. Once you start this highly original and beautifully written book with its fascinating cast of chimpanzees, caretakers and exploiters, you won’t be able to put it down until finished. Then you will want to tell everyone, ‘do yourself a favor and read this amazing book!’ ”Cassandra King, author of Queen of Broken Hearts“Wesselmann writes with courage and flair, willing to take risks most writers would shy away from—but she hits the mark every time. She manages to give us what John Updike has called ‘the human news.’ She tells the truth about what it means to be human.”Robert Bausch, author of A Hole in the Earth

Genres: Young Adult, Novels

Kindle Edition

First published February 15, 2008

About the author

From http://www.trutor.net/About_the_Autho...

"Debbie Lee Wesselmann is the author of two novels, Trutor & the Balloonist and Captivity, as well as a collection of short fiction, The Earth and the Sky. Her short stories have appeared in journals such as Other Voices, The Literary Review, Orchid: A Literary Review, Florida Review, and many others.

Ms. Wesselmann received her A.B. from Dartmouth College and her M.F.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She has taught writing at both Lehigh University and Fairleigh Dickinson University."

Reviews

[Eris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, Annie. Oh, Annie. Oh, Annie. Oh, Annie. Oh, Annie.
Summary: Kooky woman loves chimps, struggles to keep her primate sanctuary open.

This book is an easy to read and fun even if you, like me, lack any empathy for the characters. The main character is completely insane (wants to spend all day with chimps).

Now that I've looked at other reviews I realize that this is indeed structured like a lifetime movie.

So the main character Dana was raised when she was young with a chimp named Annie. It was part of a study to see how smart a chimp would get if raised like a human being. After the study ended the chimp was sold to a medical lab. In particular: one that would brain damage's effect on primates. The paperwork on her transfer was faked and because of that, Dana and her family were never able to find Annie again.

( Have you ever seen videos on this? First they sedate the primate and then they have a giant hydraulic machine that just punches down a metal fist right on an animal's head. Viewing this is like watching those car test dummies, except that the subjects are very much alive. Amazing, Calamitous. Afterwards they let the animal recover and record the results. )

Wait wasn't this the plot from Beethoven?

Anyway
The villian, evil Dr. Lamier, tricked sixteen year old Dana into visiting a medical lab in Massachusetts by telling her Annie was there. She wasn't. Once back outside and with Dana reeling from what she had seen, he tried to rape her. She vomited on him which, happily, stopped the attack.

The funny part is that later in the book Dana's future-boyfriend-hero Sam also uses information about Annie to try to get Dana in bed. Except it works. I guess it is okay to use emotional manipulation to get laid, just make sure your target is of age!

There are moments when Dana realizes how broken and crazy she is, which was nice, but not enough to evoke sympathy.

The parts in the book when the author is describing chimp behavior are great. The grunts, whoops, and rustlings paint a perfect picture in the mind's eye. It is too bad there are no characters worth caring about.

Anyway if you like chimps, or hate chimps, or want to get into the head of an animal rights activist, this is the book.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Truth Has Many Layers
I eagerly paged through 291 pages of brilliant writing and storytelling to uncover the many layers to this fine story. Captivity, by Debbie Lee Wesselmann is one of the best novels I’ve read in far too long. You want a well told and well-researched story with unique and fully drawn characters on a road filled with wonder, intrigue and surprising twists? Voila! This is a book for you.

Captivity is the story of Dana Armstrong, a middle-aged, divorced primatologist famous in academic circles for her portrayal in early psychological studies comparing human and chimpanzee behavior. She heads the South Carolina Primate Project (SCPP), a sanctuary for chimps born into captivity and used for medical experiments and research—chimps incapable of living in the wild. When the sanctuary is broken into and the chimps set free, her whole world begins to unravel. Deep rooted traumas stemming from her childhood come to the surface as she tries to save not only her job, but also the SCPP.

Dana, as well as the secondary characters, including her assistant and best friend, Mary, her troubled brother, Zack, a freelance journalist named Sam, the nefarious nemesis, Dick Lamier, (I found that name choice appropriate and funny!), even a host of chimps, are fully realized and interesting, adding color and dimension to the highly literary, beautiful writing. I give this book my highest recommendation.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel. In an age where many novels are the size of housebricks, it is a joy to pick up a novel at just under 300 pages that manages to convey a number of messages so well.

In Dr Dana Armstrong’s world, as the director of a sanctuary for chimpanzees in South Carolina, she is doing the best she can for those chimpanzees damaged or exploited by their interaction with humans. Unfortunately, the sanctuary is vandalised, chimpanzees are set free and the resulting publicity threatens to destroy everything that Dana has worked towards. In addition, echoes from Dana’s own childhood are threatening to place her career in jeopardy.
In this moving novel, Ms Wesselmann gives life to an engaging cast of characters, include chimpanzees and their carers as well as activists, academics and villains. In confronting her past, Dana also learns to face a different future. This story is both heart warming and heart wrenching. It invites readers to think beyond the fiction. Deftly written, without extraneous verbiage, Ms Wesselmann writes a powerful novel where not everything is as it seems. Family secrets, power struggles, romance are issues in the human and chimpanzee worlds as well. I finished this novel some days ago but will continue to think about the messages and their ramifications for some time to come.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely NOT young adult genre. Thumbnail outline - chimpanzees in a sanctuary are released, while most escapees are recaptured, one is not; local citizens and communities are upset by the danger posed and a most engaging, thought provoking backstory is related. While there are flashbacks to when a couple of the main characters were children, and thoughtful adolescents would certainly find the book interesting, the YA classification currently on the goodreads cite is (imho) incorrect.

[Mick · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There are no boring stories. There are only boring writers."

These were the words of my first newspaper editor, words conveyed to me after I had turned in an excrutiatingly dull story about a mechanical engineering conference. A good writer can take any subject, no matter how mundane, and make it an exceptional read. Take primatology, for example; while certainly a topic of interest to some, it's not a theme one would expect for a novel. My interest in primate studies/behavior was nominal, which is why I picked up Debbie Lee Wesselmann's latest novel with some trepidation. My fears were for naught; Wesselmann delivers a fast-paced, informative tale of intrigue and political posturing in her novel CAPTIVITY.

Make no mistake: This is a novel far removed from Wesselmann's earlier title, "Trudor & The Balloonist." CAPTIVITY demonstrates how much the author has progressed as a novelist; the descriptions of primate captivity and behavior and human interaction were fascinating, and indicative this author really did her homework. Furthermore, the narrative was strong, compelling, and thoroughly character-driven. Here's but one example:

"He followed her gaze and found he, too, was mesmerized by the proximity of the drug. The lull of it. The scratch of it that now clawed inside his veins, begging for release. The happiness that lay there, if only brief and illusory. The duality of freedom and enslavement. This he could share with Becca; they could fall down the abyss together and enjoy the free fall like kids on a roller coaster who did not know the track would end suddenly, midair.
Yes, he thought. Yes."

That's good stuff.

This is a novel that examines the dynamic of trying to keep a university primate sanctuary afloat (amidst never-ending political posturing) while Dana Armstrong, the protagonist, tries to juggle a relationship with a most dysfunctional brother. I had no idea of the politics involved--all the behind the scenes machinations--in the field of primatology, so this novel informs as it entertains. Plus, a freelance journalist, for once, is presented in a favorable light, and that's a good thing. Primatology may not be your cup of tea, but Debbie Lee Wesselmann definitely makes it palatable; CAPTIVITY is a page-turner, an enlightening and pleasurable read.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was such a disappointment after an intriguing summary on the inside flap and the adorable chimp picture on the front cover. The story of a woman conflicted between the experiences of her childhood relationship with a chimp and her scientific curiosity about their behavior under the guise of sheltering them. The main character also developed into a complex strong woman, not a stereotype of the intellectual /scientist except for the part about relationships. However instead of "National Geographic" we got more "Lifetime " as so many elements were added that distracted from the main story. Did we really need an emotionally unbalance brother, a rogue journalist that is attracted to her, a sexually inappropriate family friend that is manipulative and vengeful? Sounds intriguing but I would have loved to have read more about her studies with the chimps social interactions and how she comes to terms with her past, present and the future of the sanctuary

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put the book down. I finished it in a day and a half. The stories of the chimps are very good. You have such empathy for them and the lives they were forced to lead because of us humans. But the human stories are also well rounded. The message is "Life hands you lemons, make lemonade." Take the time to read this book and open yourself up to the world of animal research and how to help the chimps.

[Robbie Clipper Sethi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book by a great writer!

[Pris robichaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

To Enhance the Human Condition, February 1, 2008
"For the most part, nonhuman primates are research subjects because they are so similar to humans, and the principal reason for this similarity is simple: humans *are* primates. Current ideas are that the first primates appeared more than 60 million years ago. In contrast, the common ancestor of humans and African apes lived only about 5-8 million years ago; so, for more than 50 million years, humans and the African apes have shared primate ancestry. Shared ancestry is a major reason why human and nonhuman primates have many characteristics in common -- tool use, long-lasting social relationships, and complex communication systems. By learning about nonhuman primates we may come to learn more about ourselves." American Society of Primatologists

"Captivity is the state of being confined to a space from which it is difficult or impossible to escape" Wikipedia. Debbie Lee Wesselmann has written a provocative novel that begins to unlock the secrets of and enhance the human condition. By understanding the Chimpanzee, the nonhuman, of our own kind we are on the way to learning about ourselves. Why is it that we keep our beloved kind behind cages? What is it about our thinking and behavior that thinks keeping primates locked up is the safest aspect of our society?

Dana Armstrong is the Director of a Chimpanzee Sanctuary in South Carolina. She has a familial history of living with a chimp as a child. And just as suddenly as Annie was brought into her life, Annie was removed. Dana has searched her entire life for Annie and in doing so found her avocation as a primatologist. She is teaching rescued chimps to live with one another and is able to study their behaviors. At some point someone has sabotaged her sanctuary and has released the chimps. This is not only dangerous for the chimps but for the society. Some of the chimps carry diseases from their medical captivity. Dana must find the perpetrator and fight to keep her sanctuary open. The mystery deepens once we begin to delve into Dana's life, and the people she loves, lives and works with are opened for inspection. Dana Armstrong and her story are but just an acorn in the deep forest of the primate world. Debbie Wesselmann has opened a page for us to peer into and learn about the wonder of primates.

Monkeys, chimps and apes are not meant to be pets. They are intelligent, autonomous, thinking, feeling beings that do not belong in cages and strongly resist captivity. There are many primate sanctuaries in the United States and one of their goals is to promote research and understanding of primates. The New England Primate Sanctuary in Winthrop, Ma tells us that "There are few data available regarding the number of captive primates in the US. Here's what we do know about the numbers imported into the US annually: 164,138¹ primates were imported into the United States between 1995 and 2005. The most common destination is research. This statistic reflects imports only and does not represent the numbers bred in the US for research, trade, zoo exhibits and entertainment." The delicate balance of nature depends upon the survival of diverse plants and animals. We are part of this natural cycle, and it is up to us to assist the delicate balance. Annie, the beloved chimp of Dana and her Sanctuary friend's, Benji, Kitabu, Barfu, Lesbina and Sifongo, are a sign of our humanity and how we treat our own.

Kudos to Debbie Lee Wesselmann for this captivating novel. It was a novel difficult to put down, and at the same time so stimulating I had to know more. I have become a member of the New England Sanctuary and hope to visit my friends soon. Wesselmann's love of the written word is very evident in her savvy and precise writing. I was struck that Debbie Wesselmann wants to leave us all with an intelligent insight into the world of our nonhuman counterparts.

Highly Recommended. prisrob 02-01-08

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the Koko books and used to read them to my students. This book is fiction, but to me very interesting. Here's Library Journal's synopsis.

Primatologist Dana Armstrong is passionate about making a difference in the lives of the animals living at a South Carolina chimpanzee sanctuary. But a break-in resulting in the escape of numerous chimpanzees forces Dana to not only determine who was responsible for the vandalism but also deal with her traumatic memories of the past for Dana is a survivor of a psychological experiment, raised as a child with a chimp named Annie. She now faces opposition from the local community, political pressure from her university, and a ghost from her past who is bent upon her destruction. To further complicate matters, Dana's seldom-seen rogue brother appears on her doorstep, and a handsome journalist tugs at her heartstrings. Novelist Wesselmann (Trutor and the Balloonist; The Earth and the Sky) has once again combined a riveting plot with exciting characters to hold you spellbound until the last page. This novel, which raises many ethical and moral considerations, is most timely. On October 30, 2007, a chimpanzee named Washoe died at the age of 42. He was the first nonhuman known to communicate in a human language. [For your reading group, you might want to pair this with Elizabeth Hess's nonfiction Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human. Ed.] Melody Ballard, Pima Cty. P.L., Tucson, AZ --Library Journal (starred)

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review from Library Journal (starred)
"Primatologist Dana Armstrong is passionate about making a difference in the lives of the animals living at a South Carolina chimpanzee sanctuary. But a break-in resulting in the escape of numerous chimpanzees forces Dana to not only determine who was responsible for the vandalism but also deal with her traumatic memories of the past—for Dana is a survivor of a psychological experiment, raised as a child with a chimp named Annie. She now faces opposition from the local community, political pressure from her university, and a ghost from her past who is bent upon her destruction. To further complicate matters, Dana's seldom-seen rogue brother appears on her doorstep, and a handsome journalist tugs at her heartstrings. Novelist Wesselmann (Trutor and the Balloonist; The Earth and the Sky) has once again combined a riveting plot with exciting characters to hold you spellbound until the last page. This novel, which raises many ethical and moral considerations, is most timely. On October 30, 2007, a chimpanzee named Washoe died at the age of 42. He was the first nonhuman known to communicate in a human language.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this adult novel about chimps more than I thought I would. It did surprise me. But all those starred reviews mean something! It isn't so much a novel of chimps, so I wish the cover didn't look so chimp-y. It's really a novel about Dana, who was raised with a chimp as a sister as a psychology experiment. When the chimp was removed from the household, it tore Dana's family apart. Now Dana is almost 40 and working as the head of a chimp sanctuary. But someone let the chimps lose and one ran around outside the facility until it was hit by a car. Dana's job is at risk and she has to save herself. At the same time, her drifter loser brother is back in town, crashing at Dana's house and emotionally draining her.[return][return]I'm not sure what student I would recommend this book to, and that's the problem. There isn't a huge demand for chimp stories. Or books about an adult who had a traumatic childhood. But, for adults, this is a decent read.

[Marisol Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is about, Dana, a women who runs a chimp sanctuary.

She is haunted by her childhood -- in the 1950s her dad was a psychologist who brought in Annie (a chimp) to live with his family and film all the interactions. (Those grainy black and white films are still watched in anthro and psych classes.) At some point the funding ran out and Annie is sent away, traumatizing the family for various reasons.

Now, Dana dedicates her life to helping chimps who have been exploited or released from labs. The central tension of the book is that some chimps were released (unplanned) and the local community is worried about their escape.

A reporter (love interest), her estranged brother (drama), and her co-workers (great females friendships) shape what happens in the book.

Of course, we also learn at the end: what happened to Annie?

[Starla B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. There were a few loose ends that didn't seem to be tied up, and I spent the majority of the book wishing I could punch the main character's brother, but all in all I liked it and am glad I read it. I've heard/read many different opinions and facts on animal testing, and this is another though-provoking argument for the anti-testing side. How many people do think of what happens to these animals when the tests are over?

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A primatologist must come to terms about her work, her past and her present as she struggles to run a sanctuary for chimpanzees.

Besides telling the life story of the main character, the author explores the themes of what it is to be human, the wisdom of taking animals out of their natural environment, the nature of awareness and animal studies. Interesting and thoughtful.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most compelling part of this story is the chimpanzee behavior and the comparisons to human behavior. I also like the stories of the chimp, Annie, who lived with the main character and her brother when they were children. The other story elements - the break-in and release of the chimps, the sort-of romance - were pretty bland.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I was put off by the third person narration but after a little while I was swept by the story - the work with the chimps as well as the interpersonal relationships were really interesting and believable and the characters were well enough developed that this was a satisfying read.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved primates and especially been drawn to chimps. This book was another fast read and one I highly recommend. Dana is a wonderfuly strong character. Through her struggles with her relationships and the chimps you just want nothing but the best for her.Great read!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel about the plight of captive chimpanzees, the scientists who love them, and the scientists and observers who would exploit them. At times, the dialogue did not ring true, but the characters were engaging and well drawn, both human and non-human primate.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A primatologist must deal with her idiot brother, a man who's trying to take her job and run a chimpanzee sanctuary in South Carolina. Good book. 3.5 stars.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a little different from what I usually read but I really liked the story. Believeable fiction!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A science novel about chimps? My kind of suspense!

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the most beautifully written book, but very interesting. I'm hoping Ally reads it next.

[Kim Steel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than other books on same topic! Well researched, good writer.