Jane Goodall: The Ongoing Story

 “Mother of Chimpanzees,” “Messenger of Peace,” “Symbol of Hope.” There is no shortage of monikers that adorn Jane Goodall’s name. Goodall herself says there are two Jane Goodalls in the world. One is Jane Goodall the symbol, created by National Geographic and the media, and the other is Jane Goodall who was born and raised in the coastal town of Bournemouth in southern England.

 Jane Goodall tells the story of the life she has led with calm and poise: how the 10-year-old girl who dreamt of living in Africa with animals after reading Tarzan of the Apes came to achieve her dream; what the 23-year-old woman without any academic degree discovered in the forest of chimpanzees while living with them and sharing their joys and sorrows at a time when prejudices against female scientists were rife; what led her to make the transition from a scholar to an environmental activist; and the force that still drives her to pursue her work as an activist all across the world, even at the age of 88. This is the true story of Jane Goodall, an iconic figure of the era that everyone has heard of but no one truly knew.