It’s perfectly legal to own a gorilla in Alabama. That doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Twelve-year-old Claire Buckins learns this the hard way. Before her grandfather lost his zoo to bankruptcy, a baby gorilla was rejected by its mother there. Claire’s mom brought baby Sula home for safer keeping. The temporary situation turned into a long-term one as the family grew to love Sula. Years later, as the story begins, Claire and Sula share a special bond and communicate with simple sign language and Claire’s speech.
But Claire feels isolated from other kids, who consider her strange, and Sula is outgrowing her yard and has needs that can no longer be met by humans. She cleverly learns how to escape the Buckins’ property, causes havoc at Claire’s school, and destroys a neighbor’s garden. It takes research and developing friendships to get Claire close to finding a solution for Sula. But before she can complete her plan, Sula breaks free again, this time to a forest where she is pursued by one of Claire’s hunter classmates and his fierce dog. A boy Claire once had a crush on joins in, but Claire can’t tell if he is a friend or foe.
Will the forest chase end well or in tragedy? And, even if they should survive, will Claire ever truly be able to find happiness for a gorilla that is too wild for a human home, too gentle for a jungle, and too intelligent for a zoo?
Following the story is interesting information about gorillas.
Although one of the main characters is a girl, there are two very important secondary characters who are boys, and this is an adventure book, not a “girly” book. It is intended for all kids, regardless of gender. The story is written in a kid-safe but not juvenile manner and could be enjoyed by animal-loving teens and adults as well. See a bit more about gorillas by clicking on the bottom right red arrow or on Gorilla B in the index.
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