Virunga: The Passion of Diane Fossey

Ingrid conHausen was a librarian in New Hamburg, Ontario.

The Virungas are a chain of mountains straddling the borders of Zaire, Uganda, and Rwanda. Here, at an altitude of 13,000 feet, Dian Fossey spent the greater part of her last 18 years among the endangered mountain gorillas. She came late to her scientific career; her first years were spent in field work and PhD work. Her latter years were more and more devoted to conservation, to protecting those fragile giants from poachers, tourists, and other scientists. Chronicled here are the incredible hardships she endured: the altitude, broken bones, illness, bureaucracy, the incredible in-fighting of the scientific establishment. Mowat also deals with the private lives of his subjects.

The text is enhanced by the use of boldface type for Fossey’s words (taken from journals, reports, letters, and her Gorillas in the mist) alternating with Mowat’s narration. The colour photos will be familiar to readers of the National Geographic and Natural History.

Mowat focuses entirely on Fossey’s life. The account of her murder merely appears in an epilogue. This is a celebration of the human spirit, of tenacity, crankiness, and individuality, qualities with which Mowat obviously sympathizes. This utterly interesting book proves once again that truth is often stranger than fiction, and what is more, is more interesting.

Mowat is a skilled and seasoned writer. This book deserves a wide audience.