When Kobie Kruger, her game-ranger husband and daughters moved to one of the most isolated corners of the world – a remote ranger station in the Mahlangeni region of South Africa’s vast Kruger National Park – she might have worried that she would become engulfed with loneliness and boredom. In this book, she recounts their adventures.
The Wilderness Family
By kobiekruger
Some books you like, some you don’t, and some you read and you know that they will have a special place in your soul. The Wilderness Family is one of those books that will have a place in my most cherished heart bookshelf.
Kobie Krüger is the wife of a game ranger in Africa, and the richness of her storytelling is second to none. As far as quotableness, I’d have to think of Terry Pratchett to find someone more quotable, and that’s definitely saying something.
Coming from an Island, one of the greatest fears is that of insularity or feeling disconnected from the rest of the world. That’s because Puerto Rico might be a pristine paradise and a bridge, but being surrounded by water, the borders I know are all geographic. The Wilderness Family is the type of book that truly expands horizons in so many ways and it is continuously heartfelt, often laugh out loud funny, and a book that feels like a hug between its covers.
Kobie details the adventures she has in different places they live following her husband’s work as game ranger and along the way there are stories about hippos, elephants, honey badgers, a territorial spitting cobra, bats that live IN the house, and most dearly, lions. If you’ve ever had a dog you’re close with, this book will make complete sense to you (special shoutout to Wolfie and the other pups in this book, btw). I was constantly reminded of my relationship with all the pups I’ve been in contact with, seeing comparisons with all of them in all sorts of animals that appear in the book.
Throughout, timelines blur a bit, which might be a bit confusing, but it all serves the narrative and flow of the book. By this I mean that what you read in one chapter might have happened after something you read further in the book. Not a gripe by any means, just an observation for when you read
It had been a while since I read a book I forced myself to take it easy and not plow through, not think of reading goals, and just enjoy. It was like dessert, a great glass of wine, or a truly special meal, you do your best to make the experience last. Throughout, I smiled quite often and I felt such deep stirring in my chest that I would often find myself crying at how much I shared in Kobie’s experiences, not to mention learning just how much I’d like to hug a lion.
The Wilderness Family is a special book…a special piece of art and something I’d gladly recommend to anyone looking for something to remind them why they love to read, why they love to write, and why it is so important to do our best to protect nature and our fellow Earth neighbors. Too often we’re too connected to phones, the TV, and stuff like that, and this book is a gorgeous reminder that there is beauty in the wilderness that should be respected and treasured.
Highest marks I could give for a book and something I think most people would enjoy reading. I’d say two thumbs up, but maybe Kobie would take offense….but that’s for you to find out why in the book 🙂