On the Trail of Two Nature Lovers
Ayesha Anna Ninan
FROM THE HEART OF NATURE: THE AMAZING STORY BEHIND INDIA’S FIRST PRIVATE SANCTUARY by Pamela Malhotra Penguin, 2022, 556 pp., 599.00
August 2022, volume 46, No 8

As we live on the brink of climate collapse, one may chafe at the lack of personal agency as we watch governing bodies and corporate entities make disastrous decisions. This book is a personal rendition of one woman’s awakening to the myriad of issues the world faces and her quest to do something about it along with her partner, culminating in their endeavour to set up a private sanctuary in India. The author hopes to enlighten her readers by interspersing this tale with snapshots and brief explanations of key environmental events and issues from around the world, spanning centuries.

Pamela Gale Malhotra is a conservationist who grew up in the US and married an Indian called Anil Malhotra. Together, they travelled and worked in various capacities to understand the threats facing our planet and how they can make a difference. Her work and life achievements are admirable. Her writing is not.

The book’s subtitle is The Amazing Story Behind India’s First Private Sanctuary. Unless that entails the lineage of the families of the two individuals, the stories of their upbringing, and the few decades of their lives together,

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