Part 2: We Bought A Zoo

Dartmoor Park Logo

Summary:
We Bought A Zoo starts off with explaining Benjamin Mee's life before his family bought the zoo. The story begins in South France right between Nîmes and Avignon in Languedoc. The family had just settled in after moving from London and was rather excited about there new location. They were content in the small town and while Benjamin spent a lot of his time writing in the DIY (do it yourself) column for the newspaper, Katherine and the kids, Ella and Milo, continued to emerge themselves in village culture. In his spare time, Benjamin enjoyed finding all kinds of creatures with the kids. 
Katherine starts to complain about bad head aches and when they go to the hospital, the doctor tells them that she has a brain tumor. The surgeon is able to remove it, but unfortunately he says the tumor will return. From then on, they take their life one month at a time. When they think of moving, they come across a very interesting property, a zoo. They love it but the offer is rejected because of their inexperience with animals/ animal care. They understand but the thought of the zoo never leaves Benjamin's mind, so a year later, with a lot of hard work, dedication, and persuasion, the whole family works together to buy the zoo.

Map of Dartmoor Zoo

Review:

I love this book so far! This is such an amazing and motivating book that includes every step of Benjamin's journey. Although my family has never bought a zoo, I feel a connection to the characters and can relate to his hard work and devotion. The love and passion he shares for his loved ones and the zoo really shows his kind and giving character.  This book really make me want to find a way to help and give back to my community more often. Benjamin's story show me that you can alway get through all hard times with hope, strength, and perseverance. Benjamin never took no for an answer and found a way to accomplish his goals. 

Benjamin Mee at the set of We Bought A Zoo (the movie)

Focus: Author's Point of View and Purpose

This book is told by the owner of the zoo and the author himself, Benjamin Mee. I believe his purpose of writing this book was to not only share his story about the zoo, but the motivate his readers and show them that even when things get really tough and seem like they might not work out, to keep your eyes set on your goal and everything will fall into place. By telling his story, Benjamin aims to inspire and influence people to push for what they want in life. He want to show people that life has its challenges, but if you keep your head up and always be positive you can get through alright. "It had been an incredible journey to get there. A new beginning, it also marked the end of a very long and tortuous road, involving our whole family"(3).