Celia Clement's 3 favorite reads in 2023

I loved the recollections of Lawrence Anthony as he takes ownership of a wildlife refuge in Africa. He describes in rich detail the many challenges he faces. He adopts a family of elephants who have been “difficult” to keep from escaping. It was either he took the elephants, or they would be killed.

This wonderful story brings the reader along on his journey as Lawrence learns about the distinctive personalities of each elephant and how to gain their respect. Every chapter describes one of the ways he is faced with a seemingly unsolvable dilemma. This is a true story of a man’s dedication to the elephants and how he uses his compassion and diplomacy to work with the local tribes.

The similarities between my book and this book are that both are about compassion and rescuing those in need. As I read the book, it did not leave my mind that Lawrence died prematurely. His elephant family, who was miles away, knew he had died. They made the trek to his home to pay their respects.

I cry whenever I think about elephants and how they are devoted to their herd, whether it be an adopted human or another elephant.

This book brings to life the struggles that women had in the 1960s when they wanted a career.

The protagonist, Elizabeth Zott, is an outspoken, very intelligent woman with credentials in her field who is not taken seriously even though she is more brilliant than most of her bosses or colleagues. This distrustful, fiercely independent chemist finds herself needing help as she navigates many challenging obstacles. 

I loved her resilience. The story is unique and compelling, and I was drawn to her character: strong and nontraditional. Many women, like Elizabeth, have been demeaned in their workplace by bosses and colleagues who see them as easy sexual prey or who feel threatened by their intelligence.

This book appeals to men and women because it offers a great plot, interesting characters, and humor.

This book has it all: wonderful characters, a mystery that slowly unravels, and a plot that leaves you unable to stop reading. Eleanor was severely traumatized as a child, and slowly, we learn the extent of the trauma. Yet she is upbeat and remarkably resilient.

She clumsily embraces the help of caring people and allows them to teach her how to interact with her world. I am drawn to people who have experienced trauma, and I am fascinated by how they cope and how they are rescued by relative strangers.

The sessions with her therapist are powerful and moving. How is it that some people can be so caring and others be so evil? My book is about evil, trauma, coping, and rescue, which is perhaps why Eleanor’s story resonated so deeply with me.