A CHIMP IN THE FAMILY

Sophie, a chimp, was orphaned when her mother rejected her at the Chester zoo in England. In this engrossing story, Smith, Sophie's foster "parent," takes readers on a fascinating interspecies journey of love, heartache and the frustrations and joys of primatology. Smith and his wife, Audrey, raised Sophie alongside their baby son, Oliver, in the early 1990s—and the two even share teething pains. Smith eventually takes the family to Kenya, where he works for Sweetwaters Game Reserve Ranch to set up a chimp sanctuary. In the role of loving foster parent, Smith even goes so far as to eat termites to try to wean Sophie onto a diet closer to that of her closest biological relatives. Readers also get stories of biting safari ants, lion attacks, garden-raiding elephants, African politics and, of course, chimpanzees, who are 98.4% genetically similar to humans. Eloquently arguing that chimps have their own type of culture, Smith shows that chimps self-medicate to rid themselves of parasites, groom each other and use tools; Sophie uses an acacia thorn to remove a splinter from Oliver's foot. While much of Sophie's story is tragic, Smith's humor and insights make for a heartfelt read. Agent, Patrick Walsh. (May)