From Jodi Picoult author of Larger Than Life Pdf book is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Storyteller and My Sister’s Keeper, comes a gripping and beautifully written novella, now available exclusively as an eBook. Set in the wilds of Africa, Larger Than Life introduces Alice, the unforgettable character at the center of Picoult’s anticipated new novel, Leaving Time.
A researcher studying memory in elephants, Alice is fascinated by the bonds between mother and calf—the mother’s powerful protective instincts and her newborn’s unwavering loyalty. Living on a game reserve in Botswana, Alice is able to view the animals in their natural habitat—while following an important rule: She must only observe and never interfere. Then she finds an orphaned young elephant in the bush and cannot bear to leave the helpless baby behind. Thinking back on her own childhood, and on her shifting relationship with her mother, Alice risks her career to care for the calf. Yet what she comes to understand is the depth of a parent’s love.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful and heartfelt novella, but could have done without the forced romance
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2014
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I am largely ambivalent toward author Jodi Picoult. Up until “Larger Than Life” I hadn’t read any of her work, but at the same time, judging from descriptions of many of her books, I found that she focused on sensational topics for her novels — school shootings, rape, teen murder/suicide, etc. — and I generally try to avoid books that use topics like that as a gimmick or for shock value. “Larger Than Life” seemed less sensational, however, and since it focused on the study and conservation of elephants, one of my favorite animals, I figured it would be worth a read. The fact that it was currently a free e-book didn’t hurt anything either — and if nothing else, it could be a good “primer” for Picoult’s work, a sample to see if her writing style would make reading her other books worth it.
After reading this book, I’m still not sure if I’d pick up another of Picoult’s novels. However, this novella was a thoughtful and heartfelt work, and while not without its flaws it was definitely worth reading.
“Larger Than Life” focuses on Alice, a researcher on a game reserve in Botswana who’s been tasked with studying elephants, and who’s burying herself in her work to avoid facing a mounting crisis back home. When she comes across a group of dead elephants, victims of poaching, she also finds an orphaned elephant calf. The rules of her research group are that she’s not to interfere, but Alice find she can’t bring herself to leave the calf to die. With the help of Neo, a ranger at the reserve and a native to Botswana, she smuggles the calf into the camp and sets about trying to save her life. As the calf regains her strength, Alice finds herself growing closer to both her newfound charge and Neo… and despite the many obstacles standing in her way, Alice will learn a great deal about herself as she becomes a mother figure.
There’s quite a bit going on in this novella, and it has frequent flashbacks to Alice’s past and her relationship with her icy, domineering mother. But for the most part, everything fits together nicely, and despite everything going on the novella never feels cluttered or overly “busy.” The story also doesn’t feel padded for length — everything flows at a steady and decent pace. Characterization is also strong in this book, even if some of the characters (such as Neo and Alice’s boss at the reserve) feel more like clichés than actual characters. Even the elephant calf is her own character, with her own feisty personality.
There’s also quite a bit of information about elephants and elephant conservation in this novella as well, though it’s incorporated nicely into the story instead of feeling like info dumps. It details many of the problems of trying to save elephants in general and orphaned elephant calves specifically, and shows how mankind’s interference has affected the lives of these gentle giants. It never tries to give a pat answer for how best to help these creatures, and points out that every plan will have its flaws… but never gives up hope.
If I have a complaint, it’s the romantic subplot of the story. It feels weirdly forced in, as if the author decided at the last minute that she needed a romance to spice things up. The story would have worked perfectly well without the love story, and forcing passion between Alice and Neo just makes the story suddenly awkward. It’s entirely possible for two people of the opposite sex to just be friends, people…
I’d probably give this novella three-and-a-half stars if I could, but since Amazon’s rating system doesn’t allow for half stars, I’ll round it up to four. It’s definitely not a terrible story, and I’m glad I read it, but it doesn’t inspire me to pick up the author’s other work. It’s still a sweet and emotional read, however, and I recommend it.
Jodi Picoult Author Of Larger Than Life pdf Book is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-eight novels, including Wish You Were Here, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, and My Sister’s Keeper, and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page. Picoult lives in New Hampshire.
MAD HONEY, her new novel co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan, is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio on October 4, 2022.
You Can get A Copy Of Larger Than Life pdf Or Paperback By Jodi Picoult from this online store below.
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