We Bought a Zoo: The Amazing True Story of a Young Family, a Broken Down Zoo, and the 200 Wild Animals That Change Their Lives Forever | 
| Author: Benjamin Mee
Publisher: Weinstein Books
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $12.00
You Save: $12.95 (52%)
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Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 37466
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 272
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 1602860483
Dewey Decimal Number: 590.7342353092
EAN: 9781602860483
ASIN: 1602860483
Publication Date: September 9, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: New. Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 261 p. Contains: Illustrations. New
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Product Description
Benjamin Mee decided to uproot his family and move them to an unlikely new home: a dilapidated zoo on the English countryside, complete with over 200 exotic animals. It was his dream to refurbish the zoo and run it as a family business. There was much work to be done, and none of it easy. Tigers broke loose, money ran low, the staff grew skeptical, and family tensions ran high. Then tragedy struck. His wife had a recurrence of a brain tumor, forcing Benjamin and his children to face the heartbreak of illness and the devastating loss of a wife and mother. But inspired by her memory and the healing power of the incredible family of animals they had grown to love, Benjamin and his kids resovled to move forward. The Mee family opened the gates of the revitalized zoo in July 2007.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 Britishisms? September 10, 2008
Peter Bradford (Ellicott City, MD USA)
4 out of 23 found this review helpful
For the contributor from Publishers Weekly to suggest that there were too many 'unexplained' Britishisms in this book is, I would have thought, a comment on the limited knowledge of the reviewer rather than on the author/publisher. Besides, such colloquialisms are a cinch to look up on line nowadays if you happen to come across the rare one you haven't seen/heard in the various media.
 Lions and tigers and bears oh my! October 19, 2008
Mary Longorio (Eagle Mountain, UT)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Benjamin Mee has finally settled his family in a French barn/house and has settled in to write a book when his father dies and his siblings begin to consider purchasing a zoo. His 76 year old mother supports this idea, but negotiations fall apart and each sibling returns to their lives. Mee and his wife Katherine and son Milo and daughter Ella are busy with daily life when a health problem strikes Katherine and the Mee family is just trying to survive. In the midst of this the zoo becomes available again and after protracted negotiations and countless compromises the family, minus one brother purchase the zoo which they rename Dartmoor Wildlife Park.
Life at the zoo is a continuing series of struggles as the family tries to return the park to a financial success. The children and the staff come to respect and love the animals. Of course there are unexpected crisis...escaping cats, sick animals, sick family and the countless health inspections. We Bought a Zoo is a delightful glimpse into what it takes to run a small private zoo and a glimpse of what might be referred to as the eccentricity of the British. I appreciated the honest account of one family's plunge into chasing a dream. While the story sometimes holds the reader at arm's length, it is a heartwarming read.
Remarkable Story October 22, 2008
Sheri S. (Montreal, Quebec)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Rating: 3.5 stars
In "We Bought A Zoo", Benjamin Mee tells the story of how his family came to buy the Dartmoor Zoological Park and the great lengths it took to revitalize the zoo and prepare it for opening day. I think this book is particularly appealing because it is so hard to imagine most people purchasing a zoo or even entertaining the idea of doing so. Hence, the mystery of it all! I was intrigued by the book's topic and I just had to find out what Mee's thought process was and the reasoning behind his family's extraordinary acquisition.
From the start, Mee provides an in-depth analysis into the zoo-keeping business and leaves no details unexplored. Some of the information about animal grooming and sterilization seemed a bit excessive to have included and tended to distract from the story. However I do understand that Mee wanted to provide readers all of the facts, even if they seemed trivial, in order to paint the complete picture of what he had to cope with on a daily basis. The most interesting parts about the animals were their interactions with each other and their keepers. I also really liked the scenes that depicted the animal runaways which really gave a glimpse into how stressful and sometimes exciting managing a zoo can be. There are even some beautiful color photos of Mee's family and ones of the noteworthy animals mentioned in the book!
While most of the book is dedicated to details of the zoo and Mee's formal responsibilities to the zoo, the parts that talk about his wife Katherine and her illness are really touching. I enjoyed reading about their special relationship and how much Mee too care of her. It was nice to see the Mee's caretaking side because it came in contrast to his required business-like manner while running the zoo.
With all the anticipation that had been building up while reading the book, the ending was incredibly satisfying. It is one of those books where the ending can be nothing but expected, and nonetheless I felt an immense sense of relief when reading about the zoo's successful opening. I also felt proud of the Mee family for how much they had all accomplished and how they grew closer as a family, despite the hardships encountered along the way.
http://bookopolis.blogspot.com
Lynn Rosen Interviews Author Benjamin Mee about, "We Bought a Zoo" September 26, 2008
Judith Keenan (Toronto Canada)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1JP7QHURGKT20 BENJAMIN MEE, former journalist, father, son and now Zoo Director recounts the poignant, funny, charming, scary transistion from being a guy with a regular family to a gentleman with an very, very extended family.
Shot live at Book Expo America for MovingStories.TV, hosted by Lynn Rosen (Open Book), courtesy of Weinstein Books. MovingStories.TV is made available to the members of Canadian Booksellers Association in collaboration with the CBA.
For More go to lynnrosen.com and movingstories.tv.
(c) BookShorts Moving Stories 2008
Wonderful book! October 31, 2008
Kathy V-M (Cedar Hills, UT)
I felt like I was right alongside the author and his family as they experienced the adventure of buying their own zoo. Very well written, poignant and so much fun!
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