The Lion's Eye: Seeing in the Wild

Greenfield's memoir recounts the summer between her junior and senior years at college when she traveled to Kenya and Uganda to pursue her study of chimpanzees. Infused with a sort of magical realism that readers will find charming or annoying, according to their tastes, Greenfield's fascination with chimpanzees has its root in a mysterious condition: her impaired vision that works at full capacity only when she views animals. She writes floridly of her encounters with the locals, dangerous poachers and her beloved chimps and is at her best when allowing the action to unfold rather than burdening it with long descriptive passages. Her commitment and tenacity in tracking and studying her subjects is impressive, but her compelling story frequently takes a backseat to her desperation to convey atmosphere when, even stripped of embellishment, the setting and narrative themselves are sufficiently evocative. (Sept.)