The Elephants of Thula Thula

Elephant Whisperer, Book 3

By: Françoise Malby-Anthony

Narrated by: Roshina Ratnam

"Roshina Ratnam gives a lively performance of Françoise Malby-Anthony's stories of the joys and trials of sustaining the land of the Thula Thula conservancy in South Africa...engrossing and performed with enthusiasm."—AudioFile Magazine

Françoise Malby-Anthony's The Elephants of Thula Thula is a powerful, gripping story about an extraordinary herd of elephants and the woman dedicated to keeping them safe.

‘Somehow, the elephants got into my soul, and it became my life’s work to see them safe and happy. There was no giving up on that vision, no matter how hard the road was at times.’

Françoise Malby-Anthony is the owner of a game reserve in South Africa with a remarkable family of elephants whose adventures have touched hearts around the world. The herd’s feisty matriarch Frankie knows who’s in charge at Thula Thula, and it’s not Francoise. But when Frankie becomes ill, and the authorities threaten to remove or cull some of the herd if the reserve doesn’t expand, Françoise is in a race against time to save her beloved elephants . . .

The joys and challenges of a life dedicated to conservation are vividly described in The Elephants of Thula Thula. The search is on to get a girlfriend for orphaned rhino Thabo—and then, as his behaviour becomes increasingly boisterous, a big brother to teach him manners. Françoise realizes a dream with the arrival of Savannah the cheetah—an endangered species not seen in the area since the 1940s—and finds herself rescuing meerkats kept as pets. But will Thula Thula survive the pandemic, an invasion from poachers and the threat from a mining company wanting access to its land?

As Françoise faces her toughest years yet, she realizes once again that with their wisdom, resilience and communal bonds, the elephants have much to teach us.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

©2023 Françoise Malby-Anthony (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Malby-Anthony blends the beauty of the African bush with the nuts and bolts of running a game preserve in this welcome continuation of the story of Thula Thula.”—Booklist

Just Excellent

I've read of all this couple's books and have loved every one. Francoise' stories from her perspective are passionate, bravely told and full of all the emotions regarding this beautiful reserve that make you want to go there and support this amazing effort. As a result of their books, I adopted two baby elephants a number of years ago and one day hope to go to Africa to see them. The narrator was so good, I forgot it wasn't Francoise herself speaking. Thank you, Francoise for all you and your husband have done to save so many animals and help them thrive.

Another lovely book about an amazing place

I became hooked on Thula Thula reading Lawrence Anthony's book, The Elephant Whisperer. This second book by his Widow, François Malby-Anthony, isn't quite as good as her first, An Elephant in My Kitchen, being more a series of mini-stories about the animals at Thula Thula than an overarching arc of a memoire. Stiill, for anyone in love with animals and this particular spot, it's a worthwhile continuation of the joys and challenges involved in running this reserve, especially during the pandemic. Well read.

Soooo Goood!!!

A must read!!! Plain and simple!! I just finished and am going to listen to it again, as in next!!

For the Elephant lover

Francoise has become quite the advocate for South African wild life. She has taken the baton from her late husband Lawrence Anthony and run with it to be a voice for wild life. It’s a great book. I would strongly recommend it.

Elephants of Thula Thula

Absolutely love this book. I feel as if I am part of Thula Thula. Well written. Hope there will be more.

compassion of the reader

this is my favorite book by Francois Anthony, and if full of compassion, love, and devotion to her beloved animals, land, and the people that care for them.

I just can't get enough

This is the third book regarding this reserve that i've listened to. first Lawrence's book, The elephant whisperer, and then the first book by Francoise, an elephant in my kitchen. my love and admiration and pure awe of these majestic creatures comes to life. Listening to these books.. i run through a gambit of emotion with each chapter. i must admit I was driven to tears several times. francoise is a beautiful storyteller. And her love for these elephants and her beloved thula thula comes through without a doubt. i hope to 1 day visit this beautiful place.
this book was an absolute wonderful thing to listen to while I commute to work. my only complaint is that it wasn't longer.

Amazing stories

I greatly appreciate hearing all of the stories about Thula Thula from the perspective of Francoise Malby-Anthony! Her work is so important to conservationists worldwide. As for the reviewer who commented that she had not included some of his favorite stories, he was clearly ignorant that this book is one in a series about Thula Thula. The first in the series was The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony. The next two books are The Elephant in my Kitchen and The Elephants of Thula Thula by Francoise Malby-Anthony. She occasionally goes back in time to recount some backstory, but her books mostly pick up from when Lawrence’s book ends. All people who are interested in conservation or in love with the African bush should read this book!

what a beautiful story

I didn't want it to end.I wanted the story to last forever.i am in love.

A great sequel that updates the reader

What a wonderful book. I love the narration and the detail and descriptive writing that helps you feel as if you are at Thula Thula. It was a great sequel that updates the lives of the animals from the two previous books. Hope we find out what happens for the rhinos and cheetahs in another book.