Madagascar Misadventure
Madagascar Misadventure is the fourth book in the series by Jane Wilson-Howarth featuring Alex and James adventures as they are travelling through Madagascar because their parents are wildlife activists. I have listened to the previous books as well.
I like hearing about all the wildlife in this book like lemurs and foosa and scorpions for example.
I like that James and Alex and Claude have a sense of humour and I like listening to them banter. Also I like how James and Alex care about each other even though they don't always get along.
I like that it is interesting hearing about the Madagascar culture and curses that they believe in.
The story is enjoyable and the characters face a lot of threat so this makes the reader want to know what happens next.
The recording was done well and is very clearly read.
E
Himalayan Heist
From looking at the cover of the book I wouldn’t normally have chosen to listen to this audiobook. However I am pleased I did.
It is very interesting learning about Nepal and the characters surviving in the Himalayas. I didn’t like James's character because he farts a lot at the beginning and is mostly talking about food at inappropriate times. However I liked Alex's character and I liked the other main characters. I liked how Alex was so knowledgeable about animals and plants and ecological and animal welfare.
I think Jane’s voice is really good and the book is well read and easy to understand and enjoyable to listen to. Her reading is a lot better in my opinion than some other audiobooks I have listened to on audible and the library app.
The photos in the accompanying PDF really help the listener to visualise what some of the things and places in the book would look like and is a helpful addition. On the PDF I learnt that Jane had taken most of the pictures herself and written what they are. This validates her knowledge of Nepal and the animals and culture.
This book has an enjoyable story but also a serious animal welfare theme and interesting setting.
A Glimpse of Eternal Snows
This book was also a wonderful travelogue of Nepal. The family did some inspiring treks with all very young children in tow. You realise that nothing is impossible. It was funny and enlightening to read her descriptions of the different Nepalese people, their caste structure and different racial tensions. She describes their simple but very impoverished lives with compassion. Their bleak medical system and very strange approach to western medicine mixed with local healing customs was both amusing and sad. Wilson-Howarth was totally shocked and frustrated by the lack of interest in preventative medicine locally. In turn, the Nepalese were often shocked at how the British family lived. They often wandered in and out of their home to check them out. The concept of privacy and ownership were very wavy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It took the reader on both a spiritual and physical armchair journey.
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