I appreciated the story of the self-appointed "father of lions" and not just his struggles, but all of those in war-torn Mosul. I can't imagine the daily fear that would be involved for people that live in and around the region, with ever-changing rules that you have to abide by. When you don't live in the region, it's easy to not know or understand the daily fight for the people that live there. While I had made it a point to know this information, having an account such as this, with Abu Laith's love of animals shining through.
When I first read the blurb for this, I had assumed that the lions and other animals would take the precedence in this book, but it was the daily life, the war, and life under Isis that took the focus, and while it wasn't what I was picturing, it was still an endearing story. Callaghan took care to tells us Abu Laith's story in the present, as well as the past, to establish just how deep his love for animals runs. As some others have said, there are parts of this that seem to be filler that doesn't necessarily move the story forward. But I appreciated the underlying story and how well it was told.
When I first read the blurb for this, I had assumed that the lions and other animals would take the precedence in this book, but it was the daily life, the war, and life under Isis that took the focus, and while it wasn't what I was picturing, it was still an endearing story. Callaghan took care to tells us Abu Laith's story in the present, as well as the past, to establish just how deep his love for animals runs. As some others have said, there are parts of this that seem to be filler that doesn't necessarily move the story forward. But I appreciated the underlying story and how well it was told.