Born Free

Product Information

Since the first publication of "Born Free" and its sequels "Living Free" and "Forever Free," generations of readers have been enchanted, inspired and moved by these books' uplifting charm and the remarkable interaction between Joy and Elsa. Name to fly-leaf, spine concave with some creases and scuff along rear edge of spine, some darkening to pages else good tidy and unmarked. Perhaps we just become more emotionally fragile as time goes on, and look at least some of the time for less disturbing reads. The author captures not only Elsa's story, but the Adamson's love of Africa, the people, the animals, the land itself. They were successful in the end, and Elsa became the first lioness successfully released back into the wild, the first to have contact after release, and the first known to have cubs.

The book was followed by Living Free, which is about Elsa as a mother to her cubs, and Forever Free, which tells of the release of the cubs Jespah, Gopa and Little Elsa. The rest of the book lays out the ways and means of becoming more ‘attentive to God’s presence in the midst of the demands of the day . I appreciate this was wrote in the late 50's, so alot of the language is not necessarily PC and at times felt a bit uncomfortable.Immortalised in film by Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers, this is the original story for a new generation of readers to discover for themselves. I love animal stories, I love animal pictures, I love stories about animals overcoming adversity to thrive. And here we have an invitation – indeed an initiation – into a life that is both inspiring and practical, spiritual and human, and beautiful in every way.

Police investigation found Adamson's wounds were too sharp and bloodless to have been caused by an animal, and concluded she had been murdered. These were very sad endings for two people who had the sensitivity and compassion to share companionship, respect, love, and affection with the African lioness whome they immortalized in Born Free. It's remarkable that she was successfully reintroduced, its remarkable that she didn't eat the author or her husband, and its remarkable that the situation turned out mostly okay, but also it's definitely the exception to the rule. I was set back the most when a resident crocodile was shot in it's habitat purely because they wanted Elsa to cross the river without fear - a clear indication that their definition of conservation was narrow minded. it was a third of the way into the book that the truth was revealed to me: this is not Born Free, it's The Story of Elsa.The affection with which Elsa was raised, did establish a unique bond that is overwhelmingly touching and honorable, for the Adamsons and Elsa will visit for years to come. But it was also with these two lions here in front of us; and as I watched this beautiful pair, I realized how all the characteristics of our cubs were inherent in them. He escaped capital punishment because the judge ruled he might have been a minor when the crime was committed. I couldn't lose sight of the fact that Elsa was orphaned because he killed her mother thinking she was a male lion, leaving the three cubs without a mother. The descriptions of her playful antics are amusing, and it’s an interesting peek also at life in the bush.

While neither wanted a divorce nor a legal separation, their conflicting interests (George wanted to continue to work with lions and she with cheetahs) made it necessary for them to live apart (though they sometimes discussed living together again, they never did).

On the other side I started to wonder at times whether they did more harm than good when repeatedly going back to visit Elsa, especially when she seemed reluctant to come and see them.