Wildflower: An Extraordinary Life and Untimely Death in Africa

I had never heard of Joan & Alan Root before picking up this book which I was interested in reading of course for the animal stories within its pages.

When I was a few chapters into the story, it began to dawn on me what an extraordinary woman I was reading about and I want to share this with you guys in the hope we can let other people know about her and her extraordinary passion and commitment to saving her home (Lake Naivasha, Kenya) from ecological destruction for which, it is widely assumed, she was murdered.

Many in the wildlife filming trade considered the Roots to have been the best wildlife filming team in the 1960-70’s, with Joan often performing the more daunting role. Who was up a thorn tree ready to warn of a wildebeest show more herd thundering their way? Who had her goggles pierced when a hippo grew aggressive? Whose shoes melted when the hot volcanic lava on which she stood became too much for them?

On their first night as man and wife, a scorpion crawled into their tent and stung the bride, an ordinarily excruciating sting, for which, "she took a couple of aspirin and went to bed. She was completely fearless," Alan said. "She dived with sharks in the Galapagos, and crocs and hippos in Mzima, and handled dangerous snakes as easily as kitchen utensils, all with a grin and a shrug that said, 'Anything you can do, feller … '"

In 1963, they bought 80 acres on the shores of Lake Naivasha in Kenya, a place teeming with wildlife of all kinds, particularly birds, coming to the lake to drink. The lawns became a menagerie of orphaned wild animals which Joan fought with fierce determination to save. Sally, the orphaned hippo that would eat out of Joan's hand; Chekky, the displaced porcupine that would shake its quills in greeting; Rufus, the crippled bushbuck that would stand by Joan at the sink as she chopped vegetables for dinner—none of them pets but just recuperating visitors until they could make their way once again in the wild

Following their separation in 1981, Joan stayed on at the house and devoted the rest of her life to a courageous campaign against the multiplying flower farmers sucking up and poisoning the water from Lake Naivasha. By 2000, Kenya had become one of the world's major producers of cut flowers, and 80 percent of the country's export crop was coming from Lake Naivasha. Prime sections of lakeshore were covered with vast white plastic hothouses cutting off the trails animals used to come to the lake to drink. Influx of cheap labour brought with it increasing crime & poverty. In 1990 the population of Naivasha was 35,000; by 2002 it was nearly 300,000. Failing to find work many turned to the only means of subsistence they knew, fishing. Poachers plundered the lake, snaring not only fish but also their eggs, disrupting the natural growing cycle, depriving the fish eagles of food, and launching an ecological chain reaction.
Joan took a stand fighting for her beautiful lake and animals and ultimately paid with her life, probably by those who did not agree with her. Many believe it was a contract killing because of her conservation activities on the lake. Four men were charged with attempted robbery with violence, although the evidence against them was circumstantial & they were later released. They took nothing, except the life of a most admirable human being.

I was moved to tears by this passionate, courageous lady who stood up for what she believed in when everyone else thought it was all too hard or too dangerous. The ecological destruction on Lake Naivasha continues.

I hope you get a chance to read the copy we send you and if not, please give it to someone you think may be interested.

Movie rights have been optioned off and Julia Roberts has signed on to portray Joan Root on screen. show less

AUTHOR: SEAL, MARK
TITLE: Wildflower
DATE READ: 05/18/14
RATING: 4.5/B+
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS: Bio/2009/Random House/212 pgs
SERIES/STAND-ALONE: SA
TIME/PLACE: 1960's - 2004
CHARACTERS: Joan Root -- wildlife filmmaker

FIRST LINES: " One can only imagine what British colonialists felt when they first sailed from chilly & proper England to hot, exotic Kenya."
COMMENTS: Fascinating look at the life of wildlife filmmaker Joan Root. For years Joan worked w/ her husband on wildlife films, mostly in Africa, he was the extrovert and she did all the behind the scenes work. They were a great team. She was deeply in love w/ Alan and expected their partnership to last forever. Alan divorced Joan and married 2 other women… Joan never show more remarried. Joan after her marriage always had a conservation cause and was stalwart in her beliefs and actions. She was trying to save the integrity of the lake near her home from the chemicals that were ruining it from the nearby flower farms that seemed to be popping up all over. To me a better title for this book should have been Betrayal -- she was betrayed in a sense by her husband she gave him everything and still there was something else he wanted. And most of all she worked relentlessly for a retaining the natural beauty of Kenya and it was the locals that eventually killed her. She was a vastly interesting women and there were a few passages in this book I found enlightening. There was mention towards the end that a movie was being made of her life … I would love to view it. show less

How much do you know about Africa, truly? If you think, "Something about diamonds, and poverty," then this book will help illuminate other conflicts that you may not have considered. Africa is a country where no one is at fault but everyone is to blame, including possibly Joan Root herself when it comes to her untimely death. Her life story is admirable, and what she accomplished helps highlight an often misunderstood country. Mark Seal thoroughly researches and narrates her life and sad demise, but what endures through his book is the heartfelt efforts of Joan and others giving their all for a country in peril.

I really enjoyed this book and learning about the life of Joan Root. What a strong, amazing woman! In her young adulthood she was a star wildlife filmmaker with her husband Alan Root. In later years she became dedicated to protecting the animals, lake, and overall ecosystem of her home, Lake Naivasha in Kenya. All were under attack due to poaching, poverty, and the rose industry in that country. In her determination to conservation, she made enemies, and in 2006 she was killed. Her story is inspiring and I hope has been a catalyst for change. I'm anxious to go read more about her and what is happening in Lake Naivasha now.

Mark Seal admits in the opening of the book that he had never been to Kenya before he decided to research this story for an article that grew into a book. The early part of the book, which deals with Joan and Alan Root's early lives and the development of their film making careers, as well as the eventual end of their marriage and partnership, is an interesting personal story. But when Seal moves on to describe Joan's life alone, and the personal and political circumstances that led to murder, the level of research is clearly not stellar and the story becomes nothing more than a rehashing of news stories and court testimony interspersed with tributes to Joan's personal qualities. In the murky world of Kenyan class, race and tribal show more politics Seal is clearly way out of his depth. His research is sketchy and seems not even to have included some obvious traditional sources of social and political history. The last quarter of the book is interesting but disappointingly shallow. show less

Mark Seal brings us the story of the world renowned naturalist, Joan Root, in a thoughtful and compelling narrative that is hard to put down. If you loved Out of Africa, you will find Wildflower irresistible. A terrific love story between Joan and Alan Root, fascinating bush stories and wildlife adventures across Africa...filming and bringing nature and wildlife to the rest of us. Joan's story is sad at times, encouraging at others, and her life and love of nature is one story that should never be forgotten. Her love of nature and of Kenya’s beautiful Lake Naivasha compels her to take personal risks that ultimately end her life, tragically. Mark Seal brings us this story in a thoughtful and meticulous manner researching Joan's show more diaries, friends, and most importantly the love of her life, Alan Root.
This book is a keeper, so run out to your local independent book store and grab a copy. I truly enjoyed the story of her life...an incredible woman. show less

Biography of Joan Root. Great African setting. This book gave a good insight into the history of wildlife film making in Africa in the 70s and 80s, and the developments around Lake Naivasha. If you are not interested in either of these you might find this book a little boring. I did not feel at all connected to Joan Root from the story telling. Likely the reason is that she kept to herself and hence a biography could be difficult to write. My rating of three stars stems mainly from the interesting reports of the human developments around Lake Naivasha, the politics, dangers and risk to ecology.