First published 2016
Luc grew up hearing his mother's warnings about the mock men in the trees. The chimpanzees would cry through the night near their home. Now his mother is dead and Luc lives among other mistreated orphans, scraping together what he can to survive. A stranger arrives in town calling himself Prof. He carries himself differently than other visitors. Luc decides to rob him but the attempt goes wrong. Prof doesn't get angry. He offers Luc work instead. The two head into the perilous jungle where Prof studies the chimpanzees that once terrified Luc as a child. In this wild place, Luc discovers something he lost when his mother died. He finds belonging among the chimps Prof observes. But this new family faces threats that will test everything Luc has learned about loyalty and courage.
Genres: fiction, animals, adventure, coming-of-age, contemporary, africa
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Africa, Jungle
Audio CD · Dreamscape Media
Content warnings: child-death