![]() Raff has a secret plan, but keeps it secret from everyone. He becomes a lawyer, and gets hired as a legal counsel to a development company that wants to buy up the Nokobee tract, and replace the wilderness with condos and strip malls. In the third section of the book, Raff does something totally inexplicable to those who know him well. The parallels with humans are not explicitly pointed out, but they are remarkable. It is a memorable history, that shows how ant society is eerily reminiscent of human society workers, soldiers, celebrities, scouts, carrying on the business of the anthill gathering food, competitions for status, and fighting wars. Wilson is an expert on ants, and this section is supposed to be a summary of Raff's first-hand research. It is titled "The Anthill Chronicles", and gives a detailed history of the ant colonies in the region, totally from the ants' point of view. The middle section of the book is unlike any novel I've ever read. His relatives don't quite understand the fascination he feels for the region, but tolerate his interests and activities. He grows up loving this wilderness area, and visits frequently, studying the plants and wildlife that thrive there. ![]() ![]() This is a coming-of-age story about a boy named Raff, who grows up in southern Alabama, at the edge of a piece of wilderness known as the Nokobee tract. Wilson, eminent biologist, researcher, environmentalist, and Pulitzer-Prize-winning author has managed. So, how can a novel also be a book about science, biology, and environmentalism? Edward O. ![]()
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