The Language of Kin by Lynne Hugo ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

The Language of Kin is an intense read with powerful messages about communication in both human and animal existence.  It's also one of the few books that I've read recently that I wish I could give more than 5 stars to.  I went into the story completely blind to the plot and was hooked by the first chapter.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

July 2023; Amphorae Publishing Group; 978-1943075775
ebook, print (372 pages); women's fiction

Eve was a chimpanzee who was taken by poachers to sell to a research lab for animal experiments.  When she's moved to the Dayton Zoo, after years of experiments, she has to be taught how to live with other animals and learn that not all people are cruel and uncaring.  At the Zoo, Kate and Mark are her main trainers.  Kate has worked in the jungle and worked with animals at the zoo for a long time.  She feels that no animal should be kept in captivity and should be left in their own habitat and Mark feels that zoos are the last chance to keep animals from becoming extinct when their world is diminishing from less jungle space available due to modern buildings. Mark is given the lead role in getting Eve ready to join the other animals but then he goes off track and tries to teach Eve how to truly communicate with humans by using sign language.   

Even though Kate and Mark, see things differently, they have a lot in common.  Kate's mother is in a nursing home but has pretty much given up on life.  She has aphasia and is unable to communicate.  The nursing home wants to move her to assisted living but Kate is sure that her mother still has thoughts but is unable to express them.  Mark's mother is deaf and has sequestered herself in her apartment and she has made Mark her main person to communicate with.  Even though they greatly differ in their views of animals in zoos, they find common ground when they discover that they are the main caregivers for their mothers and that both mothers have issues with communication with the outside world.  Will this common ground lead to a relationship between Kate and Mark or will their divergent views on animals at the zoo, keep them from exploring a relationship with each other?

I really enjoy reading a book that is so well-researched that I learn new things.  Lynne Hugo has done considerable research on chimpanzees and shared much of it in her novel.  I had no idea how close the DNA is between humans and chimpanzees - 98% plus the same DNA.  After I finished the book, I spent time googling information about chimpanzees and how they'd been used in medical experiments - often in a very cruel manner.

This book basically had everything that I look for in a five-star plus read - a fantastic plot with likable main characters who are very well written plus the opportunity to learn something new.  Trust me, this is not a book that you want to miss!!

Buy The Language of Kin at Amazon

Susan Roberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is two hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west.  She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction.  

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