When George Mottershead moved to the village of Upton-by-Chester in 1930 to realise his dream of opening a zoo without bars his four-year-old daughter June had no idea how extraordinary her life would become Soon her best friend was a chimpanzee called Mary lion cubs & parrots were vying for her attention in the kitchen & finding a bear tucked up in bed was no more unusual than talking to a tapir about granny's lemon curd Pelican penguin or polar bear
- for June they were simply family The early years were not without their obstacles for the Mottersheads They were shunned by the local community bankruptcy threatened & then World War Two began Nightly bombing raids turned the dream into a nightmare & finding food for the animals became a constant challenge Yet George's resilience resourcefulness & tenacity eventually paid off Now over 80 years since June first set foot in the echoing house Chester Zoo has achieved worldwide renown Here in her enthralling memoir June Mottershead chronicles the heartbreak the humour the trials & triumphs above all the characters both human & animal who shaped her childhood