FATHER OF LIONS One Man's Remarkable Quest to Save the Mosul Zoo

Narrator Saul Reichlin delivers this true story of Abu Laith, the zookeeper of Mosul, Iraq. Reichlin's accurate pronunciation of Arab names of cities and people adds to this listening experience, which immerses us in a war zone. We are drawn into the daily experiences of Abu Laith as he travels a city marked by increasing violence and, at the zoo, a malnourished lion cub. Reichlin uses a gruff, masculine timbre for Abu Laith's dialogue and gives us a sense of this no- nonsense yet deeply caring man. We shake our heads at the juxtaposition of the tender care of the animals amid the violence of the conflict. This is a triumph of humanity in the midst of adversity. M.R. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2020]