My Family and Other Animals Synopsis
Chosen by July 2012 Guest Editor Caroline Lawrence.
'What we all need', said Larry, 'is sunshine...a country where we can grow'.
'Yes, dear, that would be nice', agreed Mother, not really listening.
'I had a letter from George this morning - he says Corfu's wonderful. Why don't we pack up and go to Greece?'.
'Very well, dear, if you like', said Mother unguardedly. Escaping the ills of the British climate, the Durrell family - acne-ridden Margo, gun-toting Leslie, bookworm Lawrence and budding naturalist Gerry, along with their long suffering mother and Roger the dog - take off for the island of Corfu. But the Durrells find that, reluctantly, they must share their various villas with a menagerie of local fauna - among them scorpions, geckos, toads, bats and butterflies. Recounted with immense humour and charm, My Family and Other Animals is a wonderful account of a rare, magical childhood.
About This Edition
ISBN: |
9780241951460 |
Publication date: |
7th April 2011 |
Author: |
Gerald Durrell |
Publisher: |
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Format: |
Paperback |
Pagination: |
307 pages |
Series: |
Penguin Essentials |
Suitable For: |
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Recommendations: |
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About Gerald Durrell
Gerald was born in Jamshedpur, India, in 1925. In 1928 his family returned to England and in 1933 they went to live on the Continent (Europe). Eventually they settled on the island of Corfu, where they lived until 1939. During this time he made a special study of zoology, and kept a large number of the local wild animals as pets. In 1945 he joined the staff of the Whipsnade Park as a student keeper. In 1947 he financed, organized, and led his first animal-collecting expedition to the Cameroons. This was followed by a expeditions in 1948 and 1949, this time to British Guiana. He has also made expeditions to Paraguay, Argentina, Sierra Leone, Mauritius, Assam, Mexico, and Madagascar. In 1962 he and his wife went to New Zealand, Australia and Malaya to film a TV series, Two in the Bush. In 1959 he founded the Jersey Zoological Park, of which he is the director, and in 1964 he founded the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust.
More About Gerald Durrell