The Place of Lions

by Eric Campbell

When their plane crashes into the Tanzanian bush, Chris is the only one who can go for help. He is watched and followed by an ageing, solitary lion on a journey of his own. Bound by a common threat, theirs is a strange and brief alliance.

Genres: Adventure, Africa, Survival, Childrens

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Erik Campbell lives in Papua, Indonesia, working as a technical writer for an American mining company. His poems and essays have appeared in numerous prestigious literary magazines, including The Iowa Review, Tin House, The Massachusetts Review, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Nimrod, New Delta Review, and Rattle. He has been nominated for a 2005 Pushcart Prize in poetry.

Reviews

[Lesa Loves Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I was looking for another survival story to read with my eleven year old since we both enjoyed 'Island of the Blue Dolphins' and this was a winner! A plane crash, lions and poachers make for lots of exciting action, danger and suspense! The spiritual connection between the boy and the old lion is quite moving. We both rate this book 3.5 stars!

Fiction is informative: The descriptions of the African landscape, animals and African vocabulary is interesting and educational. We learned a lot!

Caveat for parents: The American man on photo-safari uses mild profanity frequently.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris and his father move to Tanzania and on their small plane crash on the way to their new home. Chris realizes he has to look for help and sets off across the African landscape. He is accompanied by an old and dying lion which changes his life forever.

[Crystal E. Fall · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Reading rush: Read a book about a place you wish you could go to)
(Read in Swedish)

Ja, den här boken var en överraskning, minst sagt. Jag började på den i tanken att den skulle vara okej men inte särskilt minnesvärd. Så var inte fallet. Den är faktiskt ganska fin.

Så fort Chris kommer till Tanzania märks det tydligt hur mycket Campbell älskar Tanzania. Beskrivningarna av landskapet är riktigt vackra och fyllde mig med förundran. Stundtals kändes det till och med som om jag var där och mer än någonsin skulle jag vilja åka dit för att se vyerna på riktigt.

Dock känns det som om boken kunde ha varit längre. Både början och slutet kändes lite väl abrupta, som Campbell ville skynda sig att komma fram till Tanzania och sedan att knyta ihop allt. Dessutom hade jag svårt att tro att Chris var fjorton - jag fick aldrig en känsla av honom som karaktär och han kändes inte helt trovärdig som fjortonåring. Inte att jag är en expert på hur tonåringar är, men… något kändes inte helt rätt. Något jag också blev irriterad över - vilket dock inte är på Campbell - är hur baksidan och förordet spoilar hela handlingen. Det som lovas på baksidan sker inte förrän det är trettio sidor kvar. Jag förstår inte hur utgivarna tänkte.

Men överlag tycker jag slutet var snyggt gjort - det knöt ihop alla parallellhandlingar bra, var gripande och framförallt gjorde det mig något känslosam. Jag kan inte säga så mycket mer utan att spoila, men jag tyckte mycket om hur Campbell återigen visade kärleken till Tanzanias fantastiska landskap och dess djurliv. Action-scenerna tidigare i boken var också bra skrivna.

Överlag, en överraskande fin bok, som skulle ha haft fördel av att vara lite längre för att utveckla början, avslut och karaktärerna.

[Ajaje · Rating 5 out of 5]

When his father gets a job in Tanzania, 14-year-old Chris travels with him. But before they even arrive in their new home, the small plane they are riding is involved in a accident with a swarm of vultures, leaving Chris, his father and the pilot stranded on the Serengeti Plain. Only he can save the two injured men whose lives depend on him.Uninjured Chris decides to walk 30 miles to a site where he believes he can find help. On his way not only natural dangers stand between him but he dodges poachers who were chased by an American and a retired game warden who's there on a photographic safari. He becomes involved in a relationship with an old lion. The book's anti-poaching message and the author's affection for Africa and its animals is evidence. Unfortunately, these good intentions are not enough to save our wildlife. This book can relate to the real world by the poachers and how they are killing all the animals.

[Edwina Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young British lad, Chris, the protagonist in this book, encounters two shocks when he travels with his father from Britain to Africa: the first is the open vastness of this beautiful new land; the second is when their small plane crashes, leaving him as the only able-bodied survivor. He must take on the responsibility of finding help for his father and the plane's pilot, who are both injured in the crash.

But the site where the plane came down is also the home of a pride of lions undergoing their own metamorphose.

As Chris sets off on foot to find help he is shadowed by the old dominant male of the pride, who needs to make a journey. I loved the theme of man and wild beast connecting through just one look that underpins this story, and found it a very enjoyable read.

[Mel C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a short read, having just finished a 700 page marathon of a novel, and settled on this book found amongst my son's collection.

It was a nice, easy read and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It's one of those books that packs a lot in but doesn't go overboard on the descriptions and character analysis; and as a children's book, it builds the drama and sets the scene in a way that is simple but effective.

Akin to the style of Michael Morpurgo, Campbell's work is likely to be a hit with readers of all ages.

[Clarissa Unruh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I proofread this book for the library. A fascinating story about a boy and his father who decide to go live in Tanzania for 3 years. They are in a place crash in the middle of the Serengeti. The boy manages to walk and get help. 2 times he is rescued from sure death by an old lion. Meanwhile there is a poacher situation where shots are fired and one man is killed. There is a tourist photographer who uses profanity a lot. It is a gripping story that shows the wildness of Africa.

[Ellaura Shoop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot even begin to describe the emotional and spiritual depth of this book. It is a new favorite of mine since it puts value in the lives of animals like no other book I've read. I think every single young person should be required to read this book. It fosters not only an understanding of the emotional lives of animals but also compassion for them. I highly recommend.

[Olena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I`ve read this book on Swedish and it was the first to be read on this language.
It is about Africa - life of animals, dangers, challenges and survival. At the end of the story the author wanted to show such a moral deepness when the animal (lion) could feel if the person is good or bad. Here it was little dramatic ending which was worth of the whole book.

[Mr. Skipper's GT Cafe]

one copy

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alright story but book is so stuffed with racism it's impossible to enjoy. I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything else from a book about Africa from a white guy.

[Sharon H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read, not only because it was written for a YA reader, but for me (at 79) personally a riveting, beautiful survival tale that I could not put down… to the last word.

[06lanson l · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book because I like a lot of adventure/outdoors books so I highly recommend this to anyone who likes those types of books. I also liked how Eric Campbell was able through his writing really make you feel like you were in Africa. One thing that I didn't enjoy about the book was that it was little to short so some things seemed to go by really fast in the book but other then that this was a very good book.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised by this book. I imagined it to be a young childrens book, with a young childrens narative and simple laguage but was instead confronted with a true and proper story. As good a tale as it wound up being, I felt that Campbell struggled to comtain it in the limited number of pages and it seemed that it was a bit squeezed in at the end.

[Kellie Monibidor (Hermansen) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. Has a deeper meaning behind it, poetic. But an easy read. It might be mind-blowing for a young reader and very fun for them.

Recommend to somebody who loves animals, wants to have a connection with them.

Warning: Blood (plane crash injuries). A little bit of violence. Poaching--3 elephants killed. A human eaten by a lion. "damn" used several times along with Lord's name.

[Chey · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story of survival in africa fantastic thought provoking to the soul.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent adventure/survival quest, in a different locale than your usual northern woods setting.

[Chad Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris is 13 year old and he he help injured people and there was animals trying to attack him and everything. It good and awesome if you love animals

[Helena Ferry]

Svenska: Där lejon jagar...