A Stranger at Green Knowe

But the story begins long before this, in the Congo, where a young gorilla is separated from his family and captured in order to make the long journey from his tropical home to the concrete realm of the Zoo. In one of the most evocative descriptions of gorilla life and enviroments Ive ever read, Boston sets the scene for the story to come with descriptions such as: "even at noon the jungle is like a heavily curtained room", and "thunderstorms worthy of the beginning of the world". If you have discovered Bostons incredible use of language in her previous books, then this one wont fail to disappoint.

When Ping and Hanno the gorilla first meet at the Zoo, there is an instant connection bordering on the spiritual. It therefore seems almost fate that when Hanno goes missing from the Zoo (escaping via a clumsily locked door) it is at Toseland Thicket that Ping finds him. Drawing on what must have been carefully researched facts about gorillas and their lives (not suprising since the book was written when gorillas were first being seriously studied), Boston creates an utterly realistic bond between boy and gorilla.

But an escaped gorilla is big news, and the authorities cannot be drawn away for long, despite Pings best efforts. With the police and Hannos Keeper moving in, it is finally up to Hanno to make a choice: captivity or freedom?

"A Stranger at Green Knowe" is often considered the best of the Green Knowe books because of the sensitive and detailed way in which the gorillas circumstances are brought to life (theres no sappy Disney "Mighty Joe Young" here!) Her descriptions on his way of life, his powerful disposition and the tragedy of his being are nothing less than sublime. Like she did with the blind Susan and West Indian Jacob of "Treasure of Green Knowe", Boston shows a wisdom before her time.

However, some people may miss Tolly and the magical elements of the mansion, as this book is focused solely on the real life mystery of the gorillas. Rest assured though, in the next book "A Stranger at Green Knowe", both Tolly and the magic are brought back in full force. If you are into gorilla stories, I can suggest some movies that you may enjoy: Rene Russos "Buddy", "Back to the Wild" concerning a gorilla taught sign language, and of course "Gorillas in the Mist".

Green Knowe books are best when Tolly and Mrs. Oldknow are both present, and at least this volume includes one of them, but the lack of anything supernatural seems to put the book out of kilter with the rest of the series, even though its the most often recommended after the opening volume. Written at a time when gorillas were first being seriously studied and understood, it suggests that the author was herself so fascinated by them that she decided, willy-nilly, to write a book about them, and couldnt think of any place to put one except at Green Knowe. Its also, ultimately, a rather sad book, with an inevitably tragic climax, even though Ping does find a home with Mrs. Oldknow in the end. It *is* necessary to have read it in order to understand part of what happens in the following volume, but it should definitely not be read as an introduction to the series, since it has very little in common with them but its setting.