The Lady and the Panda: the True Adventures of the First American Explorer to Bring Back China's ...
Here is the astonishing true story of Ruth Harkness, the Manhattan bohemian socialite who, against all but impossible odds, trekked to Tibet in 193...
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Apr 12, 2011
Kim
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This one really bothered me a lot. I like memoirs, and this one sounded like it would be fascinating, since the woman managed to bring back a baby panda, alive. She was the first one to do so, and the passion & love she had for the pandas is amazing. But her lifestyle was quite destructive, her choices were also destructive, and I think she changed people's lives not for the better. Very sad story in a lot of ways. I also found it interesting that her young husband who was 35 years old died from
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Jun 28, 2009
Elizabeth
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The story of Ruth Harkness, the American woman who went to China in the 1930s to finish up her late husband's plan to capture a live panda. My gosh, the world is so unfair because I will never have a dinosaur, I will never have a pygmy elephant, and I will never have a baby panda. It is madness how cute her baby pandas were. Harkness's story is genuinely interesting - she was a socialite and a fashionista and perfectly willing to rough it in the wilds of China to snatch a baby panda and the esse
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Mar 09, 2011
Meg - A Bookish Affair
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After Ruth Harkness' husband dies in China while trying to bring back the first live Giant Panda back to the United States, Ruth is pushed to continue his journey. At the time she travels to China (late 1930s), American women are not known for traveling to far off places and they are definitely not known for adventuring, which could be both brutal and dangerous. Ruth is determined to find a live Giant Panda. She eventually succeeds (twice!) and becomes a media darling and really begins to put in
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Feb 05, 2009
Following the publication of her article on Harkness in The Washington Post, Croke discovered hundreds of letters from Harkness's trip to China. Armed with this correspondence, as well as hours of new interviews conducted for the project, Croke, the "Animal Beat" writer for the Boston Globe and author of The Modern Ark (1997), has produced this well-researched, well-written tale. The Lady and the Panda succeeds as a grand adventure and celebration of an overlooked independent woman who
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Aug 23, 2011
Amy
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Apparently I'm on a 'living with animals' kick again. I must be a masochist for this one. Since this is the true story of the first person to bring west a giant panda from China it takes place in the '30's. You know, at the height of the animal trade when millions of exotic animals were hunted and captured for zoos and hundreds of thousands of them died either in transit or because no one cared enough to care for them properly. Zoo goers were alerted to each new 'exhibit' with announcements of '
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Feb 19, 2009
Korynn
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This book focuses more on the Lady than the Panda, in fact it particularly annoyed me that the author completely forgot to finish the story of the remaining panda, Mei-Mei. The Lady of the book is Mrs. Harkness, a woman who loses her perfect mate to the wilderness and the search for the giant panda. Bereft, she becomes possessed to finish his quest and goes herself, falling in love with China. However that did not prevent her from stealing the baby panda from China and giving it to the States, w
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Jan 19, 2009
Judy
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This is a biographical account of the first panda brought to a US Zoo. No, not San Diego in the 1990s- but rather, Brookfield in Chicago in the 1930s. The author, Vicki Croke has a previous book on the history of zoos. Her interest in the subject is confirmed with this work. This book is written with the focus on Ruth Harkness, the remarkable woman that made the adventure and the panda come together.
A related tale by Michael Kiefer (Chasing the Panda)tells the role of two Chinese-Am More...
A related tale by Michael Kiefer (Chasing the Panda)tells the role of two Chinese-Am More...
Jun 25, 2010
Cwall
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Ruth Harkness upstaged the male adventurers of her day by taking home a baby panda in 1936. She did not capture it. She put together an expedition of men who knew what they were doing and they basically got the panda for her. She did take such good care of it, though, that it survived to become an exhibit at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. The author seems to think Ruth Harkness is admirable, but that's a stretch for me. I was interested in the historical perspective of the exploitation of Chin
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May 27, 2011
Jane {need a second to breathe}
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It was a very interesting story, but I'm not sure I liked the style much. I didn't expect it to be a non-fiction book, but it really is. I found that I often wanted to get inside the main character's head to see what she was thinking, but I couldn't, which can sometimes make it an agonizing read. I also read it for Book Club, which was not a good idea. Since it's non-fiction, you're given the facts. No opinions, no symbolism, which makes it a really hard book to discuss and go deeper into.
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Dec 02, 2009
gwen
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Ruth Harkness' story is amazing -- I had no idea that a Depression-era female adventurer had brought back the first living panda to the United States. This made a great audio book; the narrator's voice was decent, and the quick pace and linear retelling of the story make it a good choice when you know you're going to have to start and stop a lot, and probably zone out a bit along the way.
I really wish, though, that the author had explored certain parts of of the story in more depth. More...
I really wish, though, that the author had explored certain parts of of the story in more depth. More...
Jun 11, 2009
Spencer
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I really liked this book! It is a biography of Ruth Hawkness, the first American explorer to bring back a giant panda alive during hte 1930s. When I think of biographies, I don't usually think of exciting reading, but this book proved that wrong. It was very well researched and written. It took me a little while to read just because I was so busy and some parts didn't leave me with a desire to keep reading, but I am sure glad I did. For the most part however, it kept me wanting to know more and
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Apr 20, 2009
Pat
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Talk about learning a lot. This book didn't stop. I learned about pandas, Shanghai, and the 1930s. I was again impressed with how accomplished the woman was to go overseas and into the wild in the 1930s. My grandmother was the same age as this woman. What a different lifestyle the two had. My grandmother probably had read about this lady and wished to share her adventures. There is also a slight Chicago connection here. I won't spoil it though.
Mar 10, 2009
Kathy
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This is a story of an interesting American woman who very few people know of. Ruth Harkness was a Manhattan socialite, who after her husband died, committed her life to carrying our her husband's dream of being the first to capture a giant panda and bring it to America. This is a fascinating account of her journey to Tibet in 1936 and the challenges she faced securing America's first panda.
Aug 26, 2011
Gayle
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Very intriguing read. Ruth Harkness was one-of-a kind! Book gave a lot of interesting info about the "explorers" (rich adventurers) trekking through China. Good depiction of Shanghai in the 1930's. Very controversial as far as the quest to export pandas and other exotic animals. The end of the book is very different from what I expected. If you like biographies, this is a worthwhile read.
Oct 17, 2010
Joe
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Not only was Ruth Harkness a forerunner in women's liberation, she lived an incredible life of passion as chronicled by Vicki Constantine Croke. Croke breaks the experience down deftly, through many of Harkness' letters and takes us along for a powerful look at China and Tibet just prior and during WWII. Amazing story that involves early zoo politics, including Brookfield Zoo.
Aug 05, 2011
What an interesting story of one woman's journey to travel foreign lands, become a widow after only 2 years of marriage, loose love, and learn new cultures all in the hopes of bringing a panda bear to the USA for the first time. The story of this woman's independence is amazing, especially given the time period in which she was alive. Worth the read.
Jun 02, 2009
Leah
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I thought this was so interesting. I love reading about China and this time period but this was totally from perspective of.....not a Christian or not a Chinese....so it really was interesting. Her life will stick with me, however I sure wish it it would have ended differently, finding joy in the salvation of Jesus Christ.
Jan 10, 2008
Bethany
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The Lady and the Panda is the story of Ruth Harkness, who brought the first giant panda to the United States to live at Brookfield Zoo. Her husband, William, dreamed of being able to capture a live panda to show in a zoological context; however, he died on an expedition of throat cancer. Ruth Harkness picked up where he left off and traveled to China. Against the odds, she procured an infant giant panda. She traveled to China several times after that in hopes of finding another panda, and wa
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Feb 15, 2009
Ginny
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I don't read much non-fiction, but this one was definitely worth it. (It also happened to line up historically with another book I had just read about China) The woman explorer who brought back the first live panda to America was a really interesting person, and I had not heard her story before.
Sep 08, 2010
Kim
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My son bought this for me at a Library Book sale while visiting his grandparents this summer because he likes pandas.
It is the story of how the first live panda was brought to the U.S. by an amazing and brave socialite from 1920's Manhatten. An interesting true story of an interesting woman.
It is the story of how the first live panda was brought to the U.S. by an amazing and brave socialite from 1920's Manhatten. An interesting true story of an interesting woman.
Jun 06, 2010
Becky
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This is in my daughter's collection which I'm holding for her. What a good story - Shanghai in the 1930s, a Bohemian socialite whose most lasting memorial is changing the way the world perceives wild animals. From killing and bringing home a carcass, to studying a live animal. I never knew....
Feb 04, 2009
Robin
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Author Vicki Croke exudes enthusiam for her subject, Ruth Harkness. Rich details of China in the '30s, America's quest for exotic animal specimens, and the gradual development of more humane zoos. I would recommend reading, rather than listening, to this one, as there's so much more than just the main narrative. I listened with only half an ear while working and missed a lot of interesting stuff.
Jun 02, 2009
Pandabearhug
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Could use less lady and more panda. The bits about turn-of-the-century Shanghai, the bureaucratic difficulties of organizing an expedition, and the many characters she met all stand out, while Ruth Harkness became less and less likable and interesting as the book went on.
Aug 01, 2011
Kirsten
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The woman who almost singlehandedly brought the panda to the world's attention! Her story is one of grit and determination, and it is certainly well-told here. Great historical research, as well as vivid storytelling. I was hooked on this moving story!
Jul 15, 2009
Rebecca
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I would have gladly given The Lady and the Panda five stars had Croke not indulged in my least-favorite literary device thrice too often: foreshadowing. Otherwise, this is a poignant yet charming tale of a heartbroken widow's search for meaning in a war-torn country.
Sep 24, 2009
Zeb
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Somewhat interesting book about a woman venturing into what was considered a man's occupation. Ruth Harkness wanted to capture an elusive panda in the memory of her husband and bring it back alive to the states. She may have inadvertently caused a shift from the appeal of sending back only skins and parts to institutions to live specimens. But in doing so more pandas were killed or kept alive in inhumane conditions. With all the interest generated in capturing a live panda, China learned qui
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Jul 29, 2008
Elizabeth
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ruth harkness first westerner to bring over a live panda from china in 1936. ahead of her time in many respects. she grew up in a modest home, but moved to new york and flourished mixing with the socialites. it was among this crowd that she met her husband bill. bill had a large trust fund and spent much of his time on adventures around the world. he died while in china trying to procure a panda for the u.s. ruth made it her mission to complete what he started. this is a work based on jou
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Jul 23, 2011
Bored, rich NY socialite in the 1920's? Why not trek into western China during a civil war to try and bring back a live baby panda?
Jan 29, 2009
Kathryn
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I tend to be really picky about what non-fiction books I will read. This book was given to me a number of years ago when I worked at LVL. I put it off for a while not really having an appetite for non-fiction. So I was pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed it so much! The book is like one big adventure and certainly connects to all the thoughts about a just and sustainable earth, as the panda population continues to decline. Croke does a good job at attempting to paint the good and bad of Ruth Ha
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May 29, 2007
Caroline
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This is a well-researched and engrossing non-fiction book about a complex, New York socialite named Ruth Harkness. Harkness made three expeditions to China and was the first person to bring live pandas to the U.S. I don't think that this book is everyone's cup of tea, but my book group had the benefit of speaking with the author, Vicki Constantine Croke, who is a former animal news reporter, for two hours at our group meeting. I gained a lot of respect for Harkness, who is not always a likeab
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