Fierce Kingdom

A shooter in a zoo might not sound like the premise for an exploration of motherhood, but this brilliantly paced thriller is just that. On a day trip to the zoo with her four-year-old son, Joan must flee from a gunman, a task made all the more complicated by having to simultaneously negotiate the quotidian questions and tasks of parenting.

A hungry child, or one who needs the toilet, can be challenging at the best of times, let alone while hiding in an empty animal enclosure trying to avoid imminent death! Ultimately, the primary role of any parent is to… show more.

A young mother and her four-year-old son are leaving the zoo at closing time. She hears a strange popping noise, and when they near the exit, she sees a number of dead or dying people on the paths in front of them. Finding a place to hide and to keep her voluble, demanding son quiet will take all her skill as a mother. The child’s behavior is so expertly conveyed, every parent will cringe with anxiety every time he talks too loudly or gets ready to wail. Phillips’s excellent writing was so terrifying, I had to take breaks so I… show more.