Today's featured author is my good friend, Sibel Hodge. Sibel has long been an active advocate of animal rights, and her latest book, The See-Through Leopard, is a tribute to the hard working people who are against animal poaching throughout this beautiful world of ours. I read her book recently and I think it warrants more attention. See for yourself by reading my review. The book is retailing at a very reasonable price - a proportion of the revenue from sales going to Panthera a charitable cause - see below.
The See-Through Leopard by Sibel Hodge is listed as YA/coming of age literature, but I think this book will have a much broader appeal, especially those among us who care about the planet, environment and all living animals. The subject matter is one which cannot fail to touch both your heart and spirit.
The story begins with a child woman of 16, Jazz.
Jazz has many problems: the loss of her mother in a fatal car accident and the horrific scars which deface both her body and spirit. Jazz also blames herself for her mother's death. Her father, who is a vet, takes up a new position where he is responsible for the well-being of the animals on a Kenyan game reserve. Both father and daughter move to Africa from the UK (against Jazz's agreement) and he hopes the change of life will bring Jazz out of the mire of grief, self-pity and depression she has fallen into.
Readers will find they are taken on an almost spiritual journey of the healing of mind and body, a beautiful adventure with an orphaned leopard cub and falling in love for the first time.
But for me, apart from the lovely story of Jazz and her raising of the orphaned leopard cub, Asha, there was the impassioned plea concerning the terrible truth of poaching endangered - or indeed any wild animal. As a lover of Africa and all things wildlife, this book touched me deeply. Sibel has done a fantastic job in raising awareness of the plight of African animals. Fuelled by the voracity and arrogance of the West, the misconceptions of the East and the abject poverty in Africa, animals are being heartlessly poached at a disturbing rate. A rate which cannot be allowed to continue.
Life on the African plains is realistically portrayed, danger, hunting, being chased by wild animals and watching a `kill'.
Sibel Hodge has highlighted how loving oneself focuses the return to recovery by turning the attention outwards. Jazz cares for the cub and after time finally realises she has healed and is at peace with herself. This is an uplifting story, despite some grueling topics.
At the end of the story, Jazz gives a heart rendering speech to an audience of conservationists, preservationists' World Wildlife Organisations et al. It is a passionate speech and covers everything one would expect at such an august meeting. At the end of the book Sibel Hodge has listed endangered wildlife statistics and contact information for wildlife organizations. We may have seen some of it all before, but it is reinforcing a call for everyone to sit up and take note. We have one planet, one earth - we need to share it, not rape it. Let's ensure we keep it.
Highly recommended for everyone.
"A percentage of the royalties from the sale of this book will be contributed to Panthera, a leading international conservation organization dedicated to protecting and preserving the world's big cats, plus other wildlife conservation groups." -- Sibel Hodge, Author
Enjoy and thanks for dropping by!
Faithx
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