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Dian's Ghost
Dana Norland shoots two men in cold blood and flees the US for the mountains of Rwanda. Posing as a biologist, she finds herself caring for gorillas with Kristen, Dian Fossey’s successor at the Karisoke research center. She has plenty of time to think about what she’s done, but can she find peace? Apparently not, for the mountain is haunted both by the ghost of Dian Fossey, and by the men who murdered her. Personal vendetta joins with genocide, and to flee the marauding butchers, the women hide in the rainforest. Among the mountain gorillas they once protected, they learn what justice is. And what it is not.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 2016
47 people want to read
About the author
Justine Saracen
14 books34 followersFrom the author's website: How a mild-mannered academic went astray and began writing lesbian fiction:
A recovered academic, Justine Saracen started out producing dreary theses, dissertations and articles for esoteric literary journals. Writing fiction, it turned out, was way more fun. With seven historical thrillers now under her literary belt, she has moved from Ancient Egyptian theology (The 100th Generation) to the Crusades (2007 Lammy-nominated Vulture’s Kiss) to the Roman Renaissance.
Sistine Heresy, which conjures up a thoroughly blasphemic backstory to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes, won a 2009 Independent Publisher’s Award (IPPY) and was a finalist in the ForeWord Book of the Year Award.
A few centuries farther along, WWII thriller Mephisto Aria, was a finalist in the EPIC award competition, won Rainbow awards for Best Historical Novel and Best Writing Style, and took the 2011 Golden Crown first prize for best historical novel.
The Eddie Izzard inspired novel, Sarah, Son of God followed soon after. In the story within a story, a transgendered beauty takes us through Stonewall- rioting New York, Venice under the Inquisition, and Nero’s Rome. The novel won the Rainbow First Prize for Best Transgendered Novel.
Her second WWII thriller Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright, which follows the lives of four homosexuals during the Third Reich, won the 2012 Rainbow First Prize for Historical Novel. Having lived in Germany and taught courses on 20th Century German history, Justine is deeply engaged in the moral issues of the ‘urge to war’ and the ease with which it infects.
Beloved Gomorrah, appearing March 2013, marks a return to her critique of Bible myths – in this case an LGBT version of Sodom and Gomorrah -- though it also involves a lot of Red Sea diving and the dangerous allure of a certain Hollywood actress.
Saracen lives on a “charming little winding street in Brussels.” Being an adopted European has brought her close to the memories of WWII and engendered a sort of obsession with the war years. Waiting for the Violins, her work in progress, tells of an English nurse, nearly killed while fleeing Dunkirk, who returns as a British spy and joins forces with the Belgian resistance. In a year of constant terror, she discovers both betrayal and heroism and learns how very costly love can be.
When dwelling in reality, Justine’s favorite pursuits are scuba diving and listening to opera.
A recovered academic, Justine Saracen started out producing dreary theses, dissertations and articles for esoteric literary journals. Writing fiction, it turned out, was way more fun. With seven historical thrillers now under her literary belt, she has moved from Ancient Egyptian theology (The 100th Generation) to the Crusades (2007 Lammy-nominated Vulture’s Kiss) to the Roman Renaissance.
Sistine Heresy, which conjures up a thoroughly blasphemic backstory to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes, won a 2009 Independent Publisher’s Award (IPPY) and was a finalist in the ForeWord Book of the Year Award.
A few centuries farther along, WWII thriller Mephisto Aria, was a finalist in the EPIC award competition, won Rainbow awards for Best Historical Novel and Best Writing Style, and took the 2011 Golden Crown first prize for best historical novel.
The Eddie Izzard inspired novel, Sarah, Son of God followed soon after. In the story within a story, a transgendered beauty takes us through Stonewall- rioting New York, Venice under the Inquisition, and Nero’s Rome. The novel won the Rainbow First Prize for Best Transgendered Novel.
Her second WWII thriller Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright, which follows the lives of four homosexuals during the Third Reich, won the 2012 Rainbow First Prize for Historical Novel. Having lived in Germany and taught courses on 20th Century German history, Justine is deeply engaged in the moral issues of the ‘urge to war’ and the ease with which it infects.
Beloved Gomorrah, appearing March 2013, marks a return to her critique of Bible myths – in this case an LGBT version of Sodom and Gomorrah -- though it also involves a lot of Red Sea diving and the dangerous allure of a certain Hollywood actress.
Saracen lives on a “charming little winding street in Brussels.” Being an adopted European has brought her close to the memories of WWII and engendered a sort of obsession with the war years. Waiting for the Violins, her work in progress, tells of an English nurse, nearly killed while fleeing Dunkirk, who returns as a British spy and joins forces with the Belgian resistance. In a year of constant terror, she discovers both betrayal and heroism and learns how very costly love can be.
When dwelling in reality, Justine’s favorite pursuits are scuba diving and listening to opera.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 25, 2016
I almost didn't pick up this book because everything about it repelled me initially: The cover, the title, and even the blurb. I don't like books about kids, pets and by extension...gorillas. :) I'm not a fan of ghost stories either. And the first line of the blurb blurts out that the lead character killed in cold-blood! Now if that doesn't turn one off a book, I don't know what does.
But hey, this is Justine Saracen and no matter how outrageous the plot or hideous the cover, I know (or hope!) I won't be disappointed. And I wasn't. I may even be a little bit in love with the gorilla now. Or at least, the baby one, lol.
As the blurb says, Dana Norland shoots two men in cold blood and flees to the other side of the globe in Rwanda. That's probably the most controversial and problematic start to any lesfic book I've ever read. The answer isn't forthcoming for a while yet so the reader will just have to suspend judgment for the meantime and go along for the ride. And what a wild rollercoaster ride it turns out to be.
Dian's Ghost is a historical adventure thriller set in the Virunga mountains of Rwanda, where the real-life research center established by Dr. Dian Fossey, the famous primatologist who popularized gorilla studying via the book and movie 'Gorillas in the Mist', is located. This book is a tribute to her efforts to study and preserve the endangered species. By setting it in the 1990s Rwanda, a time of great civil unrest, the book also shines a light on a largely forgotten episode of genocide aptly termed 'paroxysm of vengeance'.
Eight years after the murder of Dr. Dian Fossey, the gorilla research center is now run by her protege, Dr. Kristen Wolfe. On one of her college lectures in NY, where she is actively recruiting research assistants, Kristen is approached by a seemingly over eager volunteer Dana Norland. Her willingness to uproot her life for one in the boondocks on such short notice surprises Kristen, but the lack of other volunteers means she can't be too choosy. When Dana finally sets foot in in the gorilla research center Karisoke, she is surprised that instead of dry, sunny Africa, it is a perpetually wet and muddy rainforest she's stepped into. And I was surprised she wasn't more shell-shocked and dismayed, going from modern day comforts to a no-plumbing, no-electricity, almost primitive living. Murderers can't be too choosy, I suppose. :) Anyway, her first sighting of the gorillas make it all worthwhile. The author makes a great job of bringing these amazing creatures to life, so much so that you'll soon realize why the real Dr. Fossey was willing to kill and be killed for them. And that brings us to the real underlying theme of the book : the morality of killing.
It's a wild, wild world out there. Where survival and greed often trump law. Man-made law, that is. It's also a gray, gray world too. The indigenous hunter-gatherer pygmies of the Virunga mountains have hunted wildlife there for centuries before hunting it became a crime. Habitat changes due to human expansion over the centuries have reduced their hunting grounds and their bounty considerably. From the looks of their clothes and possessions, they are not exactly thriving. What is more precious then, human life or animal life? For them, the foreign appetite for gorilla and other wildlife souvenirs provides just a little bit of respite from their daily struggle to survive.
And then there is greed. The very people who are tasked to preserve the wildlife (the park conservators) are sometimes the very ones facilitating their killings. Gorilla parts souvenirs, baby gorillas, elephant tusks, rhino horns, exotic birds and whatnot, all fetch top prices in the outside world. Are these people any better than the pygmies they pay to do the actual poaching?
And what about the customers who drive the market for these exotic souvenirs? How far up the chain does one need to go to stop this?
The book asks a lot of tough questions and makes us ponder some really thorny issues. As if the chase/rescue mission for our gorillas isn't action enough, our ladies may even be caught up in an even bigger conflagration, as the country teeters on the brink of civil war. And there's nothing civil about it, as one side aims to completely exterminate the other. How significant are the efforts to preserve a few hundred mountain gorillas, when ? Suddenly, Dana's original problem, the one she's running away from, seems just like an insignificant drop in the bucket.
That was some really intense action and suspense. I can still feel it even if i'm just writing the review now. :) Needless to say, it was quite the page-turner. This is no ghost story, thankfully. But it is a very realistic, action/adventure tale, with a rustic lesbian romance. A definite must-read for action/adventure fans. Feminists will love the shout-out to Dr. Fossey. And Saracen fans will love the 'expected' twist at the end. ;)
4.5 stars
Why not 5 stars? Ms. Saracen's books always have so much going on, I wish it were a tad, or a lot longer. Mostly I wish I had been inside the characters' heads more. Dana, but especially Kristen. The supporting characters could use a little bit more fleshing out, for emotional impact. The pace was frenetic, but in the quieter moments, I wish there was more introspection.
Thoughts on the unfortunate cover:
It is not the gorilla image per se, but the feel of the cover is entirely too campy. This is a very serious book that would benefit from a darker theme. Certainly not a pretty lady on top of a gorilla. It may also be the wrong kind of gorilla. You get that from actually reading the book. Aside from being awesomely entertaining, it was also educational. :)
ARC received from Netgalley / Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
But hey, this is Justine Saracen and no matter how outrageous the plot or hideous the cover, I know (or hope!) I won't be disappointed. And I wasn't. I may even be a little bit in love with the gorilla now. Or at least, the baby one, lol.
As the blurb says, Dana Norland shoots two men in cold blood and flees to the other side of the globe in Rwanda. That's probably the most controversial and problematic start to any lesfic book I've ever read. The answer isn't forthcoming for a while yet so the reader will just have to suspend judgment for the meantime and go along for the ride. And what a wild rollercoaster ride it turns out to be.
Dian's Ghost is a historical adventure thriller set in the Virunga mountains of Rwanda, where the real-life research center established by Dr. Dian Fossey, the famous primatologist who popularized gorilla studying via the book and movie 'Gorillas in the Mist', is located. This book is a tribute to her efforts to study and preserve the endangered species. By setting it in the 1990s Rwanda, a time of great civil unrest, the book also shines a light on a largely forgotten episode of genocide aptly termed 'paroxysm of vengeance'.
Eight years after the murder of Dr. Dian Fossey, the gorilla research center is now run by her protege, Dr. Kristen Wolfe. On one of her college lectures in NY, where she is actively recruiting research assistants, Kristen is approached by a seemingly over eager volunteer Dana Norland. Her willingness to uproot her life for one in the boondocks on such short notice surprises Kristen, but the lack of other volunteers means she can't be too choosy. When Dana finally sets foot in in the gorilla research center Karisoke, she is surprised that instead of dry, sunny Africa, it is a perpetually wet and muddy rainforest she's stepped into. And I was surprised she wasn't more shell-shocked and dismayed, going from modern day comforts to a no-plumbing, no-electricity, almost primitive living. Murderers can't be too choosy, I suppose. :) Anyway, her first sighting of the gorillas make it all worthwhile. The author makes a great job of bringing these amazing creatures to life, so much so that you'll soon realize why the real Dr. Fossey was willing to kill and be killed for them. And that brings us to the real underlying theme of the book : the morality of killing.
It's a wild, wild world out there. Where survival and greed often trump law. Man-made law, that is. It's also a gray, gray world too. The indigenous hunter-gatherer pygmies of the Virunga mountains have hunted wildlife there for centuries before hunting it became a crime. Habitat changes due to human expansion over the centuries have reduced their hunting grounds and their bounty considerably. From the looks of their clothes and possessions, they are not exactly thriving. What is more precious then, human life or animal life? For them, the foreign appetite for gorilla and other wildlife souvenirs provides just a little bit of respite from their daily struggle to survive.
And then there is greed. The very people who are tasked to preserve the wildlife (the park conservators) are sometimes the very ones facilitating their killings. Gorilla parts souvenirs, baby gorillas, elephant tusks, rhino horns, exotic birds and whatnot, all fetch top prices in the outside world. Are these people any better than the pygmies they pay to do the actual poaching?
And what about the customers who drive the market for these exotic souvenirs? How far up the chain does one need to go to stop this?
The book asks a lot of tough questions and makes us ponder some really thorny issues. As if the chase/rescue mission for our gorillas isn't action enough, our ladies may even be caught up in an even bigger conflagration, as the country teeters on the brink of civil war. And there's nothing civil about it, as one side aims to completely exterminate the other. How significant are the efforts to preserve a few hundred mountain gorillas, when ? Suddenly, Dana's original problem, the one she's running away from, seems just like an insignificant drop in the bucket.
That was some really intense action and suspense. I can still feel it even if i'm just writing the review now. :) Needless to say, it was quite the page-turner. This is no ghost story, thankfully. But it is a very realistic, action/adventure tale, with a rustic lesbian romance. A definite must-read for action/adventure fans. Feminists will love the shout-out to Dr. Fossey. And Saracen fans will love the 'expected' twist at the end. ;)
4.5 stars
Why not 5 stars? Ms. Saracen's books always have so much going on, I wish it were a tad, or a lot longer. Mostly I wish I had been inside the characters' heads more. Dana, but especially Kristen. The supporting characters could use a little bit more fleshing out, for emotional impact. The pace was frenetic, but in the quieter moments, I wish there was more introspection.
Thoughts on the unfortunate cover:
It is not the gorilla image per se, but the feel of the cover is entirely too campy. This is a very serious book that would benefit from a darker theme. Certainly not a pretty lady on top of a gorilla. It may also be the wrong kind of gorilla. You get that from actually reading the book. Aside from being awesomely entertaining, it was also educational. :)
ARC received from Netgalley / Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
March 1, 2016
Outstanding.
I love reading a book that both educates and entertains. Saracen delivers with an action filled emotional journey into the mists of the Virunga Mountains of central Africa and the plight of the mountain gorillas that live there. Dana, a fugitive from justice in New York agrees to work at the Karisoke Research Center with Kristen Wolfe who now heads up the project once led by her mentor, Dian Fossey.
Dana arrives in Africa at the end of 1993. The historical significance of this time in Rwandan history doubles the challenges faced by Dana and Kristen. Not only do they have to deal with the threats to the gorillas they are trying to protect, but the assassination of the president kicks off a civil war between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes. The author presents the facts and throws up scenarios our leading ladies have to deal with so effectively I could not put this book down. What impressed me the most was how effective Saracen is at incorporating the moral issues she touches on into an entertaining story. Was it right for Fossey to protect the gorillas previously hunted by the Rwandans for meat or profit? Were the Hutus justified in the mass slaughter of the Watutsi? Were the Belgians to blame for giving the Tutsi tribesman administrative roles making them rulers over the Hutu? If you can justify the death of your enemy on moral grounds is it murder? So many questions and yet the pace of the novel and the love you develop for the gorillas Kristen and Dana are trying to protect keeps you turning pages. I was blown away by the high quality of writing, of knowledge transfer which never felt preachy and of a well told tale I will reread again.
How can this be the first novel I have read by Justine Saracen? I now have another author to add to my must read list.
My only wish is for BSB to find a better cover for this excellent book.
ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.
I love reading a book that both educates and entertains. Saracen delivers with an action filled emotional journey into the mists of the Virunga Mountains of central Africa and the plight of the mountain gorillas that live there. Dana, a fugitive from justice in New York agrees to work at the Karisoke Research Center with Kristen Wolfe who now heads up the project once led by her mentor, Dian Fossey.
Dana arrives in Africa at the end of 1993. The historical significance of this time in Rwandan history doubles the challenges faced by Dana and Kristen. Not only do they have to deal with the threats to the gorillas they are trying to protect, but the assassination of the president kicks off a civil war between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes. The author presents the facts and throws up scenarios our leading ladies have to deal with so effectively I could not put this book down. What impressed me the most was how effective Saracen is at incorporating the moral issues she touches on into an entertaining story. Was it right for Fossey to protect the gorillas previously hunted by the Rwandans for meat or profit? Were the Hutus justified in the mass slaughter of the Watutsi? Were the Belgians to blame for giving the Tutsi tribesman administrative roles making them rulers over the Hutu? If you can justify the death of your enemy on moral grounds is it murder? So many questions and yet the pace of the novel and the love you develop for the gorillas Kristen and Dana are trying to protect keeps you turning pages. I was blown away by the high quality of writing, of knowledge transfer which never felt preachy and of a well told tale I will reread again.
How can this be the first novel I have read by Justine Saracen? I now have another author to add to my must read list.
My only wish is for BSB to find a better cover for this excellent book.
ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.
September 22, 2019
Well, this was a fantastic read for the not so faint of heart!
This was food for thought from the beginning. And I mean, ethical dilemmas that I’m not sure anyone has a clear answer to. It starts with Dana Norland committing a double murder in New York City. As the police pursues her, she enters Columbia University and manages to blend in with students in an auditorium. The speaker that day happened to be Kristen Wolfe, previous assistant to Dian Fossey and current director of Karisoke, the gorilla research facility Fossey founded in Rwanda. Dana posses as a biology student and willingly signs up to work at the research center, away from her crimes. Once in Rwanda, she realizes her inner struggles have followed her there, and the guilt simply mixes with new emotions tied to the gorillas and their daily struggle for survival. The story takes many turns as the mains find themselves in the middle of the war against poaching and the genocide that tore the country apart in the mid nineties.
The book blurb and categories it is officially listed under are a little misleading in my opinion. The story is simply better and more compelling in every way. Although a secondary theme, there is some romance in this story. It is also a historical fiction piece and not a straight general fiction/adventure story. The blurb mentions Fossey’s ghost too, but this was not a literal ghost story at all. It was more about her legacy, the things she did and how she died, and how it permeated the main characters’ present. I would hate for someone to discard this story based on the ghost description. In fact, if it wasn’t for my love of animals I would have done just that.
The author did such a great job of trying to present the moral dilemmas. The concept of ‘an eye for an eye’ was the main philosophical issue here. Is it right to kill someone after they have killed another creature? If someone viciously killed your dog, would it be fair justice to kill that person in return? How about the person who kills a gorilla? It becomes obvious that each individual has their own set of morals and there are simply arguments for all sides. How about a human? A family? A tribe, a race? This story was heart-wrenching at times and thought provoking all the time. I found myself thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading and after I had finished it. The author was masterful in her use of characters to voice the different opinions and sides of the story. Ms Saracen presents the conflicts, and even thought the story is no doubt told from an animal conservation point of view, she manages to at least make the reader think about other points of view out there, even if considered less righteous. And boy, it gets very convoluted. Some things are clear enough, but some areas are murky indeed. I often get asked how can someone be cruel to something as innocent as an animal. I have no words until I remember that humans can also be cruel to other humans. This story is proof of that.
Oh, and there is good action, great writing, a gorilla baby, an important historical figure and events, a veterinarian!, politics, ethical issues...wait, I mentioned that already. I will definitely be reading more from this author once my soul recovers a little.
Overall, a fantastic read that will push the reader to think about what justice is and how it is enforced in our world. 5 stars
This was food for thought from the beginning. And I mean, ethical dilemmas that I’m not sure anyone has a clear answer to. It starts with Dana Norland committing a double murder in New York City. As the police pursues her, she enters Columbia University and manages to blend in with students in an auditorium. The speaker that day happened to be Kristen Wolfe, previous assistant to Dian Fossey and current director of Karisoke, the gorilla research facility Fossey founded in Rwanda. Dana posses as a biology student and willingly signs up to work at the research center, away from her crimes. Once in Rwanda, she realizes her inner struggles have followed her there, and the guilt simply mixes with new emotions tied to the gorillas and their daily struggle for survival. The story takes many turns as the mains find themselves in the middle of the war against poaching and the genocide that tore the country apart in the mid nineties.
The book blurb and categories it is officially listed under are a little misleading in my opinion. The story is simply better and more compelling in every way. Although a secondary theme, there is some romance in this story. It is also a historical fiction piece and not a straight general fiction/adventure story. The blurb mentions Fossey’s ghost too, but this was not a literal ghost story at all. It was more about her legacy, the things she did and how she died, and how it permeated the main characters’ present. I would hate for someone to discard this story based on the ghost description. In fact, if it wasn’t for my love of animals I would have done just that.
The author did such a great job of trying to present the moral dilemmas. The concept of ‘an eye for an eye’ was the main philosophical issue here. Is it right to kill someone after they have killed another creature? If someone viciously killed your dog, would it be fair justice to kill that person in return? How about the person who kills a gorilla? It becomes obvious that each individual has their own set of morals and there are simply arguments for all sides. How about a human? A family? A tribe, a race? This story was heart-wrenching at times and thought provoking all the time. I found myself thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading and after I had finished it. The author was masterful in her use of characters to voice the different opinions and sides of the story. Ms Saracen presents the conflicts, and even thought the story is no doubt told from an animal conservation point of view, she manages to at least make the reader think about other points of view out there, even if considered less righteous. And boy, it gets very convoluted. Some things are clear enough, but some areas are murky indeed. I often get asked how can someone be cruel to something as innocent as an animal. I have no words until I remember that humans can also be cruel to other humans. This story is proof of that.
Oh, and there is good action, great writing, a gorilla baby, an important historical figure and events, a veterinarian!, politics, ethical issues...wait, I mentioned that already. I will definitely be reading more from this author once my soul recovers a little.
Overall, a fantastic read that will push the reader to think about what justice is and how it is enforced in our world. 5 stars
February 21, 2016
Dian's Ghost is a captivating tale that takes place in the heart of the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda. Everything about this book is unique. I must say I have never read anything quite like it. This book is very well done, and amazingly well written. It will make you ask yourself the question would you kill a human to save an animal?
This book is centered around the story of Dian Fossey and her efforts of gorilla conservation. Personally, until reading this book I only knew bits and pieces of Fossey's story, and mostly it came from snippets of the Sigourney Weaver movie adaptation. Dian's Ghost will weave you into Fossey's legacy while introducing you to fictional characters, Dana Norland and Dr. Kristen Wolfe.
We first meet Dana as she has just murdered two men in a basement in New York City. Whoa nelly! She has her reasons, I assure you, but you have to read it to find out why. Dana on the lamb from NYPD runs into Dr. Wolfe giving a presentation at Columbia University. Kristen is trying to get students to volunteer/work for the Karisoke Institute. What better place to escape the police than Africa?
While this book is a romance, it is so much more than than just a love story of two women. This book beautifully describes the harshness of Rwanda, and the struggles the people as well as the gorillas endured. Dian's Ghost is set in the early 1990s and Rwanda is on the precipice of a civil war and in turn a mass human genocide. The lives of of so many were lost during that time, and you will be thrown right into the center of chaos.
This book is devastatingly wonderful. It's tragic but it is hopeful, and it has characters that are strong, intelligent and so kind. It makes us ponder hard questions, and see that there is a grey area in terms of moral rights and wrongs. So, don't judge this book by it's cover. The pages between it are so, so good.
4.5 stars
This book is centered around the story of Dian Fossey and her efforts of gorilla conservation. Personally, until reading this book I only knew bits and pieces of Fossey's story, and mostly it came from snippets of the Sigourney Weaver movie adaptation. Dian's Ghost will weave you into Fossey's legacy while introducing you to fictional characters, Dana Norland and Dr. Kristen Wolfe.
We first meet Dana as she has just murdered two men in a basement in New York City. Whoa nelly! She has her reasons, I assure you, but you have to read it to find out why. Dana on the lamb from NYPD runs into Dr. Wolfe giving a presentation at Columbia University. Kristen is trying to get students to volunteer/work for the Karisoke Institute. What better place to escape the police than Africa?
While this book is a romance, it is so much more than than just a love story of two women. This book beautifully describes the harshness of Rwanda, and the struggles the people as well as the gorillas endured. Dian's Ghost is set in the early 1990s and Rwanda is on the precipice of a civil war and in turn a mass human genocide. The lives of of so many were lost during that time, and you will be thrown right into the center of chaos.
This book is devastatingly wonderful. It's tragic but it is hopeful, and it has characters that are strong, intelligent and so kind. It makes us ponder hard questions, and see that there is a grey area in terms of moral rights and wrongs. So, don't judge this book by it's cover. The pages between it are so, so good.
4.5 stars
September 23, 2019
This was a great story. I loved the setting and the historical references. Saracen brought the animals and setting to life for me. If you enjoyed this book, then I highly recommend Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda. It really gives you a feeling for that time and place, and I was delighted to recognize a fictional version of Rosamond Halsey Carr in Saracen's story. I haven't read Gorilla's in the Mist, but now I am putting it on my must-read list.
March 28, 2016
This is an unusually powerful, moving, and at times disturbing story that occurs in real-life places and memories. I did not read all the extraordinary postscripts at the end of this book until I finished. That is my usual style. However, I would recommend you read the postscripts first. Unless you are up to snuff on the life and times of Dian Fossey, I think being brought up to date via this supportive information will make this book even more enjoyable. That is only my opinion, but I certainly hope you will immerse yourself in the rich historical data provided after the conclusion of ‘Dian's Ghost’. I did not find this an easy read, but incredibly moving, and the relationship between the two main women is delightfully spicy while being thoroughly intense. Bravo!
Dana Norland is a most intriguing main character. In what I believe to be a relatively atypical opening, Dana's introduction shows her in a fairly nonflattering manner. However, she is also presented as a quick thinker, a survivalist, and a somewhat consummate conwoman. Fairly quickly I am totally on Dana's side as she eventually becomes an astoundingly proficient part of the Karisoke research center. She displays passion, concern, and cleverness whether she is with the gorillas or her boss. Dana is something rather special even if it took a bit of time for her to wend her way into my heart. I applaud the author for her boldness and creativity in spotlighting someone with such initially devious proclivities and then having her blossom as she proficiently and heroically rises to the challenges presented. Really fascinating!
Kristen Wolfe carries the torch that was initially lit by Dian Fossey. As I learned more about Dian, Kristen is in fact a bit of a savior for Karisoke until the turmoil that sweeps over and through Rwanda makes Kristen's focus and goal an impossible task. Kristen initially appears to be 100 percent *business*. It is almost impossible to sense her personality, yet the enormity of her responsibilities in keeping the dream alive for all the people connected to Karisoke and more importantly, perhaps, all the gorillas, makes her extra buttoned-up qualities a tad more understandable. She, like Dana, really blossoms as the story explodes while my heart and soul hoped for a happy ending. I believe most people will find delight in not only the time spent at Karisoke, but the tension that fills the struggles for survival and the delightful endpiece that comes with the conclusion. Magnificent!
I thoroughly recommend this novel. It still fills my heart, mind, and dreams days after I completed my reading. I feel as if I was actually with Dana, Kristen, and Mwelu. I hope you enjoy meeting Mwelu. It might be a life-changing experience. Superb!
Dana Norland is a most intriguing main character. In what I believe to be a relatively atypical opening, Dana's introduction shows her in a fairly nonflattering manner. However, she is also presented as a quick thinker, a survivalist, and a somewhat consummate conwoman. Fairly quickly I am totally on Dana's side as she eventually becomes an astoundingly proficient part of the Karisoke research center. She displays passion, concern, and cleverness whether she is with the gorillas or her boss. Dana is something rather special even if it took a bit of time for her to wend her way into my heart. I applaud the author for her boldness and creativity in spotlighting someone with such initially devious proclivities and then having her blossom as she proficiently and heroically rises to the challenges presented. Really fascinating!
Kristen Wolfe carries the torch that was initially lit by Dian Fossey. As I learned more about Dian, Kristen is in fact a bit of a savior for Karisoke until the turmoil that sweeps over and through Rwanda makes Kristen's focus and goal an impossible task. Kristen initially appears to be 100 percent *business*. It is almost impossible to sense her personality, yet the enormity of her responsibilities in keeping the dream alive for all the people connected to Karisoke and more importantly, perhaps, all the gorillas, makes her extra buttoned-up qualities a tad more understandable. She, like Dana, really blossoms as the story explodes while my heart and soul hoped for a happy ending. I believe most people will find delight in not only the time spent at Karisoke, but the tension that fills the struggles for survival and the delightful endpiece that comes with the conclusion. Magnificent!
I thoroughly recommend this novel. It still fills my heart, mind, and dreams days after I completed my reading. I feel as if I was actually with Dana, Kristen, and Mwelu. I hope you enjoy meeting Mwelu. It might be a life-changing experience. Superb!
March 5, 2016
My rating is 4.5 stars.
Dian's Ghost was an excellent read that had so much to offer. I found it thought provoking, educational, thrilling, sweet, sad, confronting and romantic. The main theme of the book was following Dana and Kristen in the rain forest of Rwanda studying and protecting the gorillas. The book really makes you think about the moral questions of what lengths you would go to protect animals and are animals just as important as humans. As an animal lover I could completely sympathise with the two main characters and their beliefs of animals being just as important as humans (as my puppy is my second child at home and very much a family member). You also couldn't help but be drawn into the love that the two had for the gorillas.
The romance took a back seat in this book, which made complete sense to me considering the theme of the book. I thought the two had good chemistry and worked well together. As a romance lover I thought this romance was sweet but also thought it could have been better. I thought the pace of the romance was slightly off which made me feel like nothing was between the two and then all of a sudden they were madly in love. I would have liked to seen a more gradual progress between the two. Maybe more point of view from Kristen.
I really enjoyed the book even though some of the content was so very sad and confronting that you couldn’t fathom the events that occurred in Rwanda. Justine Saracen did a fantastic job and you won't be disappointed with this read.
I was given this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
Dian's Ghost was an excellent read that had so much to offer. I found it thought provoking, educational, thrilling, sweet, sad, confronting and romantic. The main theme of the book was following Dana and Kristen in the rain forest of Rwanda studying and protecting the gorillas. The book really makes you think about the moral questions of what lengths you would go to protect animals and are animals just as important as humans. As an animal lover I could completely sympathise with the two main characters and their beliefs of animals being just as important as humans (as my puppy is my second child at home and very much a family member). You also couldn't help but be drawn into the love that the two had for the gorillas.
The romance took a back seat in this book, which made complete sense to me considering the theme of the book. I thought the two had good chemistry and worked well together. As a romance lover I thought this romance was sweet but also thought it could have been better. I thought the pace of the romance was slightly off which made me feel like nothing was between the two and then all of a sudden they were madly in love. I would have liked to seen a more gradual progress between the two. Maybe more point of view from Kristen.
I really enjoyed the book even though some of the content was so very sad and confronting that you couldn’t fathom the events that occurred in Rwanda. Justine Saracen did a fantastic job and you won't be disappointed with this read.
I was given this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
March 30, 2016
I struggled to make myself start this book. I had already looked at reviews, and though many were saying it was a great read, I was filled with doubt. I honestly think it was the cover that made me not want to read this book. Every time I scrolled through my kindle looking for my next read I would overlook it, and almost grumble. I am so happy that I didn’t skip this one. I had never read a book by this author, so I was unsure of what to expect. Honestly I had already written this book off as a failure before I even started reading. I was so very wrong.
The details of this book are so well researched, I actually learned quite a bit from reading it. I may be one of the few that knew very little about Rwanda, and had absolutely no idea who Dr. Dian Fossey was. I had never seen the movie, and knew very little about the Rwanda genocide. The book is about the individual who took over for Dian Fossey after her murder, and her continued work with gorilla research.
Dana flees New York and goes to work in Rwanda with Kristen, Fossey’s replacement. While this is labeled as romance, the romance was so minimal I would have perhaps labeled the book as general fiction. Those who love romance and want that swept off your feet kinda romance, may be disappointed. You shouldn’t be though. This book is one that after starting, I had trouble putting down. I found myself looking for breaks to sneak away to just read a few pages. The research and information that was put into this book alone makes it a wonderful read. My only negative for the book, was I felt as though the ending continued a bit too long. Just me though. I hope you overlook the cover and perhaps even the synopsis and give this book a try, I really think it is an enjoyable read.
~copy provided by NetGalley for honest review~
The details of this book are so well researched, I actually learned quite a bit from reading it. I may be one of the few that knew very little about Rwanda, and had absolutely no idea who Dr. Dian Fossey was. I had never seen the movie, and knew very little about the Rwanda genocide. The book is about the individual who took over for Dian Fossey after her murder, and her continued work with gorilla research.
Dana flees New York and goes to work in Rwanda with Kristen, Fossey’s replacement. While this is labeled as romance, the romance was so minimal I would have perhaps labeled the book as general fiction. Those who love romance and want that swept off your feet kinda romance, may be disappointed. You shouldn’t be though. This book is one that after starting, I had trouble putting down. I found myself looking for breaks to sneak away to just read a few pages. The research and information that was put into this book alone makes it a wonderful read. My only negative for the book, was I felt as though the ending continued a bit too long. Just me though. I hope you overlook the cover and perhaps even the synopsis and give this book a try, I really think it is an enjoyable read.
~copy provided by NetGalley for honest review~
March 4, 2016
I enjoyed this book, the love the story, the gorillas and the unrest within Rwanda.
Dana is a woman on the run for murder, you don't find out what has pushed her into this crime for a while into the book. I won't give it away by I will say I struggled to fully understand /accept her motivation for such a crime. While fleeing from the crime she stumbled across Kristen who is looking for volunteers to work in Rwanda and the rest is history.
Of course I enjoyed the story of Karisoke and the work they were doing there but I must say the story of Rwanda was what really got me. I had watched a documentary a few years ago about what happened and have had an interest since. I think the author did a good job of weaving this unrest into her story.
I found it a little difficult to connect with the main characters but that's nothing to do with the writing style, which I enjoyed. It has more to do with me not fully connecting with Danas motivations.
This is a good read, especially for anyone looking for something a little different and not as romance based.
ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
Dana is a woman on the run for murder, you don't find out what has pushed her into this crime for a while into the book. I won't give it away by I will say I struggled to fully understand /accept her motivation for such a crime. While fleeing from the crime she stumbled across Kristen who is looking for volunteers to work in Rwanda and the rest is history.
Of course I enjoyed the story of Karisoke and the work they were doing there but I must say the story of Rwanda was what really got me. I had watched a documentary a few years ago about what happened and have had an interest since. I think the author did a good job of weaving this unrest into her story.
I found it a little difficult to connect with the main characters but that's nothing to do with the writing style, which I enjoyed. It has more to do with me not fully connecting with Danas motivations.
This is a good read, especially for anyone looking for something a little different and not as romance based.
ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
October 31, 2016
Wonderful story, lovely main characters. Enjoyed the tidbits about Dian Fossey and her work, the gorillas, their mannerisms and their sense of family. Great Read.
March 26, 2016
Dana Norland flees to Rwanda after killing two men in cold blood to be an assistant to Dr. Kristen Wolfe. Dana starts to study the gorillas and begins to care for them and for Kristen. Meanwhile, they try to protect the gorillas from the poachers and the likes, while fleeing from marauders.
It took me a while to get into the book, but it picked up towards the middle and end of the book. The romance is not the main story, the pacing was a bit slow on this one. I would've liked to have learned more about their love story.
I appreciated the descriptions of the gorillas and learning more about Dian Fossey and her work of which I had no prior knowledge. I could tell that the two main characters cared for the gorillas deeply.
Review also posted here: http://wp.me/p4Pp9O-db
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It took me a while to get into the book, but it picked up towards the middle and end of the book. The romance is not the main story, the pacing was a bit slow on this one. I would've liked to have learned more about their love story.
I appreciated the descriptions of the gorillas and learning more about Dian Fossey and her work of which I had no prior knowledge. I could tell that the two main characters cared for the gorillas deeply.
Review also posted here: http://wp.me/p4Pp9O-db
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 19, 2017
Just about every one of Justine Saracen's books is a DISCOVERY! I don't think I'll ever get tired of reading her books.
March 18, 2017
Thanks Netgalley the Publisher and Author for a copy to review.
Not a bad book but a bit slow to start but soon got into it....
I enjoyed the bits about Dian Fossey and her work with the gorillas.The details of the book are well researched with a bit of romance thrown in.
Not a bad book but a bit slow to start but soon got into it....
I enjoyed the bits about Dian Fossey and her work with the gorillas.The details of the book are well researched with a bit of romance thrown in.
April 3, 2024
This is quite a compelling read. Caught me from the beginning and held me through the ending. Enjoyed the immersion into Karisoke and the Silverback Gorillas. This story has elements of On the run, adventure, danger and survival. Quite a bit to pack into less than 300 pages. I can happily recommend this story, so go ahead and read it.
May 8, 2017
Please note: I received an advance reader's copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. What follows is said honest review.
Justine Saracen’s novel, Dian's Ghost follows Dana Norland, who has just committed murder in an apartment in Harlem. While fleeing the scene of the crime, she sneaks into a lecture hall at Columbia where Kristen Wolfe, Dian Fossey’s successor, is giving a lecture on the gorillas in the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda and trying to recruit researchers. With nowhere to go and the police on her tail, Dana signs up. While the job is initially an escape plan, Dana falls for the gorillas and maybe a bit for Kristen as well, but when political unrest in Rwanda quickly turns deadly, the two women will have to find a way to save themselves.
Don't let the cover fool you. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read at a leisurely pace for a while, but once the action got moving, I couldn’t put it down. I read almost half of it in one sitting, and when I looked at my watch, I was bewildered to find that over two hours had passed and I had been so caught up in the world Saracen depicted that I hadn’t noticed. When it was over, I wasn’t quite ready to leave the characters and wanted to find out what their lives were like down the road.
The romance was actually my least favorite part of this book, and that’s a compliment, promise. It wasn’t a bad element, not by a long shot, but the rest of the plot was so interesting that the romance sat nicely on the backburner until it seemed natural to move to the forefront of the storyline. It didn’t overwhelm the primary plotlines involving the gorillas themselves and later the Rwandan genocide. It’s clear that Saracen did her homework, and I appreciated that the events surrounding the mass killings weren’t sugarcoated. It felt real and that gave more authenticity to the story. I also appreciated her ability to create believable, fictional characters in a very real and brutal environment.
If you’re interested in more information regarding the historical background of the book, Saracen has got you covered. There is great information at the end of the novel on various topics covered in the book such as Dian herself, an explanation of Rwandan politics and some background on some historical figures characters in the novel are based on, and they are neatly separated into different essays.
If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, check this one out. I expected to like it, but I was pleasantly surprised to find how much I enjoyed it, and I look forward to reading more of Saracen’s work.
Justine Saracen’s novel, Dian's Ghost follows Dana Norland, who has just committed murder in an apartment in Harlem. While fleeing the scene of the crime, she sneaks into a lecture hall at Columbia where Kristen Wolfe, Dian Fossey’s successor, is giving a lecture on the gorillas in the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda and trying to recruit researchers. With nowhere to go and the police on her tail, Dana signs up. While the job is initially an escape plan, Dana falls for the gorillas and maybe a bit for Kristen as well, but when political unrest in Rwanda quickly turns deadly, the two women will have to find a way to save themselves.
Don't let the cover fool you. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read at a leisurely pace for a while, but once the action got moving, I couldn’t put it down. I read almost half of it in one sitting, and when I looked at my watch, I was bewildered to find that over two hours had passed and I had been so caught up in the world Saracen depicted that I hadn’t noticed. When it was over, I wasn’t quite ready to leave the characters and wanted to find out what their lives were like down the road.
The romance was actually my least favorite part of this book, and that’s a compliment, promise. It wasn’t a bad element, not by a long shot, but the rest of the plot was so interesting that the romance sat nicely on the backburner until it seemed natural to move to the forefront of the storyline. It didn’t overwhelm the primary plotlines involving the gorillas themselves and later the Rwandan genocide. It’s clear that Saracen did her homework, and I appreciated that the events surrounding the mass killings weren’t sugarcoated. It felt real and that gave more authenticity to the story. I also appreciated her ability to create believable, fictional characters in a very real and brutal environment.
If you’re interested in more information regarding the historical background of the book, Saracen has got you covered. There is great information at the end of the novel on various topics covered in the book such as Dian herself, an explanation of Rwandan politics and some background on some historical figures characters in the novel are based on, and they are neatly separated into different essays.
If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, check this one out. I expected to like it, but I was pleasantly surprised to find how much I enjoyed it, and I look forward to reading more of Saracen’s work.
April 6, 2016
Previously reviewed on The Good, The Bad, and The Unread:
Justine Saracen could never be accused of shying away from difficult subjects or from settings likely to be unfamiliar to the majority of her readers. Which explains a lot about why I enjoy her novels. This time, the setting is Rwanda around the time of the civil wars in the early to mid-1990s, and the questions posed revolve around the value of human lives set against those of other species.
The story opens with a vigilante-style double murder carried out by one of our heroines, although it’s not until later we discover which of her victims’ multitudinous crimes triggered her seemingly out-of-character acts of violence. Attempting to evade the police, Dana seeks shelter in a lecture theatre, where she is entranced by the speaker, Kristen, who is attempting to continue the work of Dian Fossey to study and protect mountain gorillas and is visiting the university in search of volunteers to work with her team.
With no job, and quite possibly no safe future in New York, Dana signs up. She’s unprepared for the life she finds in Rwanda, but she discovers that the gorilla families are at least as fascinating as Kristen and soon realises that she’s prepared to threaten anyone who tries to disrupt their sanctuary. The country isn’t a safe place for wildlife, with rich foreigners prepared to pay well for both body parts of adults and live youngsters, middle men sheltering behind respectable businesses and important political connections, and impoverished locals resorting to poaching often, because they see no other way of getting the money to feed their families. Once war breaks out, the country is no longer safe for anyone.
This is a thrilling story, as Dana and Kristen struggle against the odds, first to rescue a snatched baby gorilla and return her to her remaining family and later on to keep themselves alive and reach safety beyond the war zone. Then, if they do escape and make it back to the US, there’s still the question of how Dana can make a new home there, knowing that the police may be looking for her. There’s romance in this story too, of course, and also a rival to Dana – not so much for Kristen’s affections as for her moral compass. There’s very little absolute good or bad in this story, just better and worse acts.
All in all, a splendid read, with a satisfying conclusion that surprised me as much as it did our heroines, although all the clues were there right from the early scenes.
Justine Saracen could never be accused of shying away from difficult subjects or from settings likely to be unfamiliar to the majority of her readers. Which explains a lot about why I enjoy her novels. This time, the setting is Rwanda around the time of the civil wars in the early to mid-1990s, and the questions posed revolve around the value of human lives set against those of other species.
The story opens with a vigilante-style double murder carried out by one of our heroines, although it’s not until later we discover which of her victims’ multitudinous crimes triggered her seemingly out-of-character acts of violence. Attempting to evade the police, Dana seeks shelter in a lecture theatre, where she is entranced by the speaker, Kristen, who is attempting to continue the work of Dian Fossey to study and protect mountain gorillas and is visiting the university in search of volunteers to work with her team.
With no job, and quite possibly no safe future in New York, Dana signs up. She’s unprepared for the life she finds in Rwanda, but she discovers that the gorilla families are at least as fascinating as Kristen and soon realises that she’s prepared to threaten anyone who tries to disrupt their sanctuary. The country isn’t a safe place for wildlife, with rich foreigners prepared to pay well for both body parts of adults and live youngsters, middle men sheltering behind respectable businesses and important political connections, and impoverished locals resorting to poaching often, because they see no other way of getting the money to feed their families. Once war breaks out, the country is no longer safe for anyone.
This is a thrilling story, as Dana and Kristen struggle against the odds, first to rescue a snatched baby gorilla and return her to her remaining family and later on to keep themselves alive and reach safety beyond the war zone. Then, if they do escape and make it back to the US, there’s still the question of how Dana can make a new home there, knowing that the police may be looking for her. There’s romance in this story too, of course, and also a rival to Dana – not so much for Kristen’s affections as for her moral compass. There’s very little absolute good or bad in this story, just better and worse acts.
All in all, a splendid read, with a satisfying conclusion that surprised me as much as it did our heroines, although all the clues were there right from the early scenes.
May 6, 2016
I was sent this book by Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
I found this novel difficult to classify re genre as in all honesty I could not call it an f/f novel. This novel is one of the most special and hard hitting novels I have read in a long time. Ms Saracen, apart from being a brilliant author, has obviously researched her subject extensively.
The plight of not only the Gorilla's but the rarely mentioned political turmoil that Rwanda was subjected too was told through a mixture of hard facts and history. Facts were clear and those character's mentioned real the fiction was the loving relationship between Dana and Kristen. This relationship was so entwined with reality that one could not be separated from the other. The fiction allowed the story to be told for the benefit of readers like me whose only knowledge of Silver Backs was from watching the film of Dian Fossey.
This incredible book was a revelation. At times it brought me to tears, at others times it just brought the Silver Backs to life, at other times I was appalled at the way one human can treat another. This fascinating and astounding book is one that anyone who cares about animals, who cares about equality and who believes in morality cannot fail to be impressed by.
The impression this book had on me will remain with me. Although it covered a very difficult and at times heart rending subject it was told in such a sympathetic and engaging way it was an enjoyable as well as an educational pleasure to read. I for one cannot recommend this book enough and I look forward to reading further book by this dynamic author.
February 12, 2016
This is an honest review thanks to NetGalley. I was surprised at this book, the way the description sounded and the first chapter or so turned me off of it. I wanted to throw it down as a waste, though through the journey of Dana and her love of gorillas grow as well as her moral compass shining her truth on what she did back in new York. She finds love and more than that she finds herself as she trumps through genocide and political uproar. This was a great book that had about every genre imaginable inside it.
May 18, 2016
A complex realistic thriller framed in the legacy of Dian Fossey’s work with gorillas in war-torn Rwanda. A postscript reality check includes the actual facts. This story challenges the justification of violence for any cause --the main character is a fugitive who committed a vengeful murder. Ignore the cheesy cover and enjoy this compelling read, which includes a lesbian romance!
May 1, 2019
Strange, but interesting story. As a lover of animals I wanted to know more.
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