by Sara Gruen
First published 2010
A family of bonobo apes who know American Sign Language are kidnapped from a language laboratory. Their mysterious appearance on a reality TV show propels scientist Isabel Duncan and reporter John Thigpen on a personal mission to rescue them. As they search, they are forced to confront their assumptions about these animals who share 99.4% of our DNA. At the heart of the story is the bond between the apes and their caretakers, and the question of whether these animals can truly communicate and connect with humans.
Genres: fiction, science-fiction, animals, contemporary
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: animal-protagonists, found-family
336 pages · Paperback · Random House