Captivity (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. A South Carolina chimpanzee sanctuary affiliated with a university provides the unusual setting for Wesselmann's powerful second novel (after 1997's Trutor & the Balloonist). Dana Armstrong, a primatologist, acquired her understanding of chimpanzees at great personal cost, having been raised along with her younger brother, Zack, with a female chimp as a sibling (they communicated using sign language) until a tragic event ended the experiment. Now she must deal with an even more traumatic event. One day Dana arrives at the sanctuary, where she's the director, to discover that someone has damaged buildings and released chimpanzees unadapted to the wild. As Dana battles to save the sanctuary, personal and professional jealousies, campus politics, the fate of the chimpanzees and the stirring stories of Dana and her family play out in unforgettable fashion. With empathetic insight, the author precisely observes both human and animal behavior. (Feb.)
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Review

A South Carolina chimpanzee sanctuary affiliated with a university provides the unusual setting for Wesselmann's powerful second novel (after 1997's Trutor & the Balloonist). Dana Armstrong, a primatologist, acquired her understanding of chimpanzees at great personal cost, having been raised along with her younger brother, Zack, with a female chimp as a sibling (they communicated using sign language) until a tragic event ended the experiment. Now she must deal with an even more traumatic event. One day Dana arrives at the sanctuary, where she's the director, to discover that someone has damaged buildings and released chimpanzees unadapted to the wild. As Dana battles to save the sanctuary, personal and professional jealousies, campus politics, the fate of the chimpanzees and the stirring stories of Dana and her family play out in unforgettable fashion. With empathetic insight, the author precisely observes both human and animal behavior. --Publishers Weekly (starred)

Wesselmann, Debbie Lee. Captivity. Blair. Feb. 2008. c.300p. ISBN 978-0-89587-353-8. $22.95.

Primatologist Dana Armstrong is passionate about making a difference in the lives of the animals living at a South Carolina chimpanzee sanctuary. But a break-in resulting in the escape of numerous chimpanzees forces Dana to not only determine who was responsible for the vandalism but also deal with her traumatic memories of the past for Dana is a survivor of a psychological experiment, raised as a child with a chimp named Annie. She now faces opposition from the local community, political pressure from her university, and a ghost from her past who is bent upon her destruction. To further complicate matters, Dana's seldom-seen rogue brother appears on her doorstep, and a handsome journalist tugs at her heartstrings. Novelist Wesselmann (Trutor and the Balloonist; The Earth and the Sky) has once again combined a riveting plot with exciting characters to hold you spellbound until the last page. This novel, which raises many ethical and moral considerations, is most timely. On October 30, 2007, a chimpanzee named Washoe died at the age of 42. He was the first nonhuman known to communicate in a human language. [For your reading group, you might want to pair this with Elizabeth Hess's nonfiction Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human. Ed.] Melody Ballard, Pima Cty. P.L., Tucson, AZ --Library Journal (starred)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 293 pages
• Publisher: John F Blair Pub (February 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895873532
• ISBN-13: 978-0895873538
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #370,562 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creating Empathy for the Helpless and Unfortunate ..., June 19, 2008

By	Erika Borsos "pepper flower" (Gulf Coast of FL, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Debbie Lee Wesselmann provides a spell binding novel which sheds light on the precarious plight of chimpanzees which are raised in captivity and after having served the purpose of humans their lives are left in limbo. In a world concerned with saving our planet by going green, decreasing carbon dioxide emissions from gas-guzzling automobiles to keep our air cleaner and prevent global warming from destroying everything - here is another cause which deserves our attention and support with economic resources. The book is written with sensitivity, compassion, and knowledge about the lives of chimpanzees in captivity. It is a superbly written highly original novel which combines adventure, romance, and human interest, maintaining the reader's attention from start to finish.

Essentially, the book is about the scientist, Dr. Dana Armstrong, Director of the South Carolina Primate Project and her attempts to keep afloat the sanctuary which serves as home to chimpanzees who have been discarded after being involuntary participants in scientific experiments at labs or residents at zoos which have closed. The major problem she is facing is how to convince the University president and a major donor that her facility is a safe place for the animals and is not a threat to the neighborhood. Unfortunately, there was a break-in at the sanctuary and the animals were freed because someone obtained a key and simply opened up the cages, letting the animals roam about the offices, sanctuary and beyond, into the nearby family neighborhood.

Dana, Andy, the vet for the animals, Mary one of the research associates and graduate students helped round up the missing animals - all except one - the most dangerous, named Benji. Benji had been owned by a cruel animal trainer and had unpredicatable behavior as a result. Dana had to call the local sheriff to help find him and she had to admit Benji could be dangerous. Sadly, when Benji was found - he was dead, having been hit by a car. It caused Dana much grief because it reminded her of Annie, a chimp with whom she was raised as a child. The chimp came into their household as an experiment by her psychologist father, who wanted it treated as a family member. Annie was taken away after an unfortunate incident occurred to Dana. Annie was supposed to have gone to a lab for experiments but the trail as to what really happened to her led to a dead-end. No one knows whether Annie was alive or dead. No one knows what kind of experiments were performed on Annie. This incident haunted Dana ...

Unexpectedly, a free lance reporter Sam Wendt entered Dana's life. He threw her world upside down. Initially, he asked questions about the experiment led by her father, regarding teaching chimps the use of language. Later, after learning about the break-in and delving deeply into the politics of animal research and competition for funding, Sam became a willing accomplice in her quest to save the chimps and discover who was behind this disastrous event. The author deftly connects a haunting past event in Dana's life to her present predicament, where her qualifications to lead and direct this sanctuary are being seriously questioned. The reader will learn much about the sad circumstances which surround the lives of these most endearing animals, chimpanzees. Most readers will empathize with their condition and be hooked on this story where the goal is to keep this non-threatening primate sanctuary thriving and maintain the safety of its residents. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To Enhance the Human Condition, February 1, 2008

By	prisrob "pris," (New EnglandUSA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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"For the most part, nonhuman primates are research subjects because they are so similar to humans, and the principal reason for this similarity is simple: humans *are* primates. Current ideas are that the first primates appeared more than 60 million years ago. In contrast, the common ancestor of humans and African apes lived only about 5-8 million years ago; so, for more than 50 million years, humans and the African apes have shared primate ancestry. Shared ancestry is a major reason why human and nonhuman primates have many characteristics in common -- tool use, long-lasting social relationships, and complex communication systems. By learning about nonhuman primates we may come to learn more about ourselves." American Society of Primatologists

"Captivity is the state of being confined to a space from which it is difficult or impossible to escape" Wikipedia. Debbie Lee Wesselmann has written a provocative novel that begins to unlock the secrets of and enhance the human condition. By understanding the Chimpanzee, the nonhuman, of our own kind we are on the way to learning about ourselves. Why is it that we keep our beloved kind behind cages? What is it about our thinking and behavior that thinks keeping primates locked up is the safest aspect of our society?

Dana Armstrong is the Director of a Chimpanzee Sanctuary in South Carolina. She has a familial history of living with a chimp as a child. And just as suddenly as Annie was brought into her life, Annie was removed. Dana has searched her entire life for Annie and in doing so found her avocation as a primatologist. She is teaching rescued chimps to live with one another and is able to study their behaviors. At some point someone has sabotaged her sanctuary and has released the chimps. This is not only dangerous for the chimps but for the society. Some of the chimps carry diseases from their medical captivity. Dana must find the perpetrator and fight to keep her sanctuary open. The mystery deepens once we begin to delve into Dana's life, and the people she loves, lives and works with are opened for inspection. Dana Armstrong and her story are but just an acorn in the deep forest of the primate world. Debbie Wesselmann has opened a page for us to peer into and learn about the wonder of primates.

Monkeys, chimps and apes are not meant to be pets. They are intelligent, autonomous, thinking, feeling beings that do not belong in cages and strongly resist captivity. There are many primate sanctuaries in the United States and one of their goals is to promote research and understanding of primates. The New England Primate Sanctuary in Winthrop, Ma tells us that "There are few data available regarding the number of captive primates in the US. Here's what we do know about the numbers imported into the US annually: 164,138¹ primates were imported into the United States between 1995 and 2005. The most common destination is research. This statistic reflects imports only and does not represent the numbers bred in the US for research, trade, zoo exhibits and entertainment." The delicate balance of nature depends upon the survival of diverse plants and animals. We are part of this natural cycle, and it is up to us to assist the delicate balance. Annie, the beloved chimp of Dana and her Sanctuary friend's, Benji, Kitabu, Barfu, Lesbina and Sifongo, are a sign of our humanity and how we treat our own.

Kudos to Debbie Lee Wesselmann for this captivating novel. It was a novel difficult to put down, and at the same time so stimulating I had to know more. I have become a member of the New England Sanctuary and hope to visit my friends soon. Wesselmann's love of the written word is very evident in her savvy and precise writing. I was struck that Debbie Wesselmann wants to leave us all with an intelligent insight into the world of our nonhuman counterparts.

Highly Recommended. prisrob 02-01-08

Biography - Wesselmann, Debbie Lee (1959-): An article from: Contemporary Authors

Trutor and the Balloonist

The Earth and the Sky: Stories

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Only if we understand can we care... , February 1, 2008

By	Friederike Knabe (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Only if we care will we help. Only if we help shall they be saved."
(Jane Goodall)

Dana and Annie were childhood buddies. They shared their daily lives playing, teasing, learning to communicate and, for a while, growing up together. Zack, Dana's younger brother often participated in the games and, in some way, competed with Dana for Annie's attention. The development of the youngsters was part of a research project, studied and captured on film. One day, however, this playful life ended and Annie was taken away after seriously biting Dana's hand. The hand never fully recovered, nor did Dana or Zack - from the loss of Annie. Annie was a chimpanzee. From a brief note on an actual case, Debbie Lee Wessselmann has imagined the captivating and touching story of Dana Armstrong, a primatologist who maintained since childhood days her dedication, love actually, for chimpanzees.

Dana is the director of a sanctuary for chimps, rescued over the years from various science laboratories, and resettled here after the inhumane treatment of primates was abandoned following increasing public condemnation. In the protective reserve in South Carolina Armstrong, assisted by her number two - Mary - and students and interns, has created an environment for the animals that aims to be as close to their natural habitat as possible. They live in groups, each led by an alpha male, in large enclosures, where they can roam and interact as they would in Africa. New arrivals, often physically and psychologically scarred, are first kept apart and slowly familiarized with life among other chimps. Wesselmann skilfully depicts the important trust-building interaction between humans and animals. Dana's experience with and fond memories of Annie have influenced her scientific approach, emphasizing discrete observation with minimal human interference as soon as the chimps can fend for themselves. Yet, on an emotional level, this approach brings challenges for Dana. While using her unique familiarity and communication skills with the animals, she needs to encourage their independence from human "handlers". For these and other reasons, the sanctuary and Dana have enemies: animal rights activists, colleagues with competing approaches in the University to which the sanctuary is attached, and local people who have little knowledge of what is going on behind the high fences. One morning Dana finds the doors of the holding cages and the fences open, papers and files in her office in disarray and chimpanzees roaming in the woods and areas nearby... Capturing all the animals is only the first challenge. Finding the culprit, attempting to reassure her superiors, funders, activists, and to educate the general public is quite another. In the midst of this crisis, her brother reappears in her life and demands attention. The crises multiply ... requiring cool heads. Is Dana too emotionally involved to take the tough decisions that are expected from her?

Wesselmann's ability to create realistic and lively characters, demonstrated already in her earlier novel "Trutor & the Balloonist", gives this story depth and complexity. Numerous twists and turns keep the reader intrigued as the critical events unfold. The human interest story is enriched by the perceptive portrayal of the chimps, each memorable in his or her individuality. The team's and, in particular, Dana's non-verbal communication with them, is beautifully captured, illustrating the author's in-depth research into primate behaviour and human-animal interaction. Through the author's sensitive narrative, the reader is closely following the heroine's emotional turmoil as well as her efforts to maintain the calm needed as she interact with animals, colleagues, competitor's and a curious journalist. It is one of those books one doesn't want to end when it does. This reader, for one, hopes that the protagonist, and the author, have their wish fulfilled and visit chimpanzees in their natural African habitat. [Friederike Knabe]