Under the Camelthorn Tree - Raising a Family Among Lions (Paperback)

'An astonishing story ... Nicholls carries us through her experiences with a searing honesty that for me was hugely educational and deeply moving' – Jeremy Irons

'An unflinchingly brave, generous book filled with the wisdom of one who has seen both the beauty and the darkness the world has to give' – Sophie Dahl

'Read the whole beautiful book to the end. You'll never see another memoir like this' – Richard Dawkins

'A wonderfully rich and honest memoir of an extraordinary life by an extraordinary person . . . a special book' – Tim Butcher

'UNDER THE CAMELTHORN TREE is remarkable, wild as a pride of lions - heartbreaking, relentlessly truthful, funny. Kate Nicholls steps into life's beauties and hardships with a rare and extraordinary courage' – Erica Wagner, Harper's Bazaar

'A breathtaking memoir written with an abundance of wit, honesty and love.' – Harry Michell

Kate Nicholls left England to raise her five children in Botswana: an experience that would change each of their lives. Living on a shoestring in a lion conservation camp, Kate home-schools her family while they also learn at first hand about the individual lives of wild lions. Their deep attachment to these magnificent animals is palpable.

The setting is exotic but it is also precarious. When the author is subjected to a brutal attack by three men, it threatens to destroy her and her family: post-traumatic stress turns a good mother into a woman who is fragmented and out of control.

In this powerfully written, raw and often warmly funny memoir, we witness the devastation of living with a mother whose resilience is almost broken, and how familial structures shift as the children mature and roles change. Under the CamelthornTree addresses head-on the many issues surrounding motherhood, education, independence, and the natural world; and highlights the long-lasting effect of gender violence on secondary victims. Above all, it is an inspiring account of family love, and a powerful beacon of hope for life after trauma.

General

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

My review

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 | Review by: Breakaway R.

A must-read, haunting book. Kate Nicholls and her five young children, Emily, Travers, Angus, Maisie and Oakley (aged just eleven-months-old) moved to Botswana in 1994. As a biologist, Kate wanted to work with lions and decided that taking the children would broaden their horizons, life in the bush would be harsh, but give them something very few other children ever get to experience, living among wild animals. When Kate first moved to Maun, she started working with a group called War Against Rape. Botswana is one of the countries ravaged by HIV/AIDS. The population had the misconceived idea that raping a child could cure a man from the deadly disease, and as a result, the group were called in to help these extremely traumatised survivors as well as many women. Her work with the lions makes for fascinating reading. Living in the bush, with a machete close at hand to sort out deadly snakes, will live in my memory. It is the one phobia that I have of the bush. I also loved the elephants who visited the campsite. They lived in harmony with the family. Kate's homeschooled her children. These four words cannot describe the impact she made on their lives. They have all far exceeded all expectations in their chosen careers. All attended university. All have confidence and abilities that bounce off every page of the book. They all knew how to handle a Land Rover, change a tyre, and from a very early age were able to drive. Tracking and identifying lions were part of their daily lives. There is a very dark side to the book. Kate’s rape and her PTSD. She describes it with brutal honesty and how it affected her for years after she left Botswana and the impact her behaviour, as a result of the rape had on her children and partner, Pieter. It is part of her story and part of her life. What is more important is that she's written about it, and by writing and sharing this traumatic experience, she might have just helped someone else take that first step towards surviving as well. Our world would be a very dull place without people like Kate Nichols. She left the comfort of her very established life in England to follow a dream; working and studying lions. As a result, her five children were homeschooled under a Camelthorn tree, where they not only had possibly the best education possible but learnt life-lessons that most children nor adults ever get the chance to experience. Treebeard Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (0) | No (0)