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Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades

Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades

by Rebecca Renner

Flatiron Books ·2023 ·288 pages
Maybe Someday
Maybe Someday
I Index
48/99
Top of the Pile

81/99

Critics' Rating Index

Bottom of the Pile

15/99

Readers' Rating Index

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Scholars' Citation Index

84/99

Volume of Reviews

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About This Book

David Grann meets Susan Orlean in this page-turning true story of an underground operation into the mysterious world of alligator poaching and its larger than life Floridian charactersTo catch a Florida Man, you have to become one, and that's what Officer Jeff Babauta did. As his ponytailed, whiskey-soaked alter ego, he established Sunshine Alligator Farm. His goal? Infiltrate the shady world of illegal poachers in the Florida Everglades in order to protect the natural world.A head-spinning adventure soon unfolds. Jeff deals with glow-in-the-dark alligators and high-speed airboat rides, but quickly learns that not all poachers are villains. They're simply people trying to survive, fighting against the poverty and greed holding them down. Jeff wants to solve the mystery of alligator poachers, and in doing so he must venture deeper into a strange ecosystem where right is wrong, and justice comes at the cost of those who've welcomed him into their world.Gator Country is the twisting true story of the impossible choices individuals must make to stay afloat in this world. Through its wholly unique blend of reporting, nature writing, and personal narrative, this book transports readers to vibrant and dangerous Florida landscapes and offers intimate portraits of those who call the region home. Broad in scope and vivid in detail, Gator Country is a fast paced tale of the risks people will take to survive in one of the world's most beautiful yet formidable landscapes and the undercover investigation that threatens to topple the whole scheme.


Reviews

"The fast-paced narrative is imbued with the atmosphere of tension that shapes any good mystery story—but unlike other mysteries, Gator Country is shaped by moral ambiguities among antagonists and protagonists."

Henry L. Carrigan Jr.· BookPage Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"It reads like a true-crime caper...Audiences of all types will appreciate this easy-to-read narrative as well as Renner's knowledge of the area, her academic ability, her candor, and her insights into human nature."

Library Journal Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Beautifully evoking the 'sawgrass plains and wild strands of jungle' of its author's home state, this tale of power, politics, and tradition is a triumph."

Publishers Weekly Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Every species, and every person who fights for its continued existence, deserves a book like this — a book that explores the complexity of the nexus between humans and animals and the exploitation of the wild, and considers the ambiguities of our fractured relationship to nature, morality and history."

Lydia Millet· The New York Times Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"This is an interesting take on wildlife conservation in the face of climate change."

Kathleen McBroom· Booklist Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Renner's passion for her home state, compassion for those less fortunate, and gift of storytelling make this book difficult to put down."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Renner also helps us understand that alligators are animals that can inspire fear, but ultimately deserve our thanks and care."

Chris Hewitt· The Minneapolis Star Tribune Read review ↗ Near the Top

"An astounding story about an alligator-poaching operation in the Florida Everglades."

Kathleen Gerard· Shelf Awareness Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

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