Every species, and every person who fights for its continued existence, deserves a book like this — a book that explores the complexity of the nexus between humans and animals and the exploitation of the wild, and considers the ambiguities of our fractured relationship to nature, morality and history.
Renner has a dandy story and a great, mythic figure to hang it on: a poaching legend named Peg Brown, who hunted illegally in the late 20th century but whose poaching may have helped the environment. Renner also helps us understand that alligators are animals that can inspire fear, but ultimately deserve our thanks and care.
...brims with exhilarating tales of the denizens—both human and animal—that lurk in the saw grass, skunk cabbage and mangrove roots of the rapidly vanishing Everglades. The fast-paced narrative is imbued with the atmosphere of tension that shapes any good mystery story—but unlike other mysteries, Gator Country is shaped by moral ambiguities among antagonists and protagonists. With deep affection for a beloved place, Renner, who grew up in the Everglades, sketches a vivid portrait of the scraggly splendor of the land and its tenacious hold on life in a world that often fails to see its beauty.
By the time readers learn of a serendipitous opportunity that results in a breakthrough for the wildlife agents, many will have developed understanding and empathy for the hapless poachers. This is an interesting take on wildlife conservation in the face of climate change.
An astounding story about an alligator-poaching operation in the Florida Everglades. Her adventurous, in-depth study probes the nature of crime and human character, while also mining the far-reaching consequences of what it truly takes to survive--in the wild and in society ... Renner...a gifted and deeply empathetic writer, paints such sympathetic, well-rounded portraits of the justice-seeking rangers and wildlife officers versus the struggling-to-survive poachers that readers will have trouble taking sides. Her propulsive narrative reads as suspensefully as a well-wrought mystery novel as she uncovers an exciting true story rife with shocking twists and turns that will educate, enlighten, and enthrall her audience.
Certainly Gator Country owes a debt to Susan Orleans' milestone The Orchid Thief, swapping flowers for reptiles, but it also harkens to crime nonfiction, like Baynard Woods and Brandon Soderberg's I Got a Monster— scrupulously reported but narratively tense, dispassionately depicting the actions of 'the good guys' and 'the bad guys' without taking sides. Renner is a natural storyteller, and she does service to wild Florida, igniting an answering passion in the reader.
Mixing stranger-than-fiction true crime with regional history and flashes of memoir, this fascinating debut from science journalist and Florida native Renner follows two men on opposite sides of the law ... Beautifully evoking the 'sawgrass plains and wild strands of jungle' of its author’s home state, this tale of power, politics, and tradition is a triumph.
Renner’s passion for her home state, compassion for those less fortunate, and gift of storytelling make this book difficult to put down. Enlightening and full of suspense.
Readers of this book are in for an adventure. It reads like a true-crime caper...Audiences of all types will appreciate this easy-to-read narrative as well as Renner’s knowledge of the area, her academic ability, her candor, and her insights into human nature.
