THE GECKO IN THE BATHTUB by Janina Marie Fuller (Philippines)

Encounters with Marvelous Creatures

In encounters with an array of creatures, from both domesticated and wild animals inhabiting my Louisiana backyard to denizens of the Amazon  I present these stories to illuminate our inseparability from the life around us by capturing peak moments in the natural world. These experiences are chronicled in the context of my day-to-day life and relationships, from childhood to retirement, highlighting a few unique glimpses of animal lives as they have intersected with mine.

I have been investigating my natural surroundings as long as I can remember, wherever my life and travels have taken me. From earthworms to egrets and from Indianapolis neighborhoods to the Amazon rainforest, I have paid careful attention to the creatures crossing my path, doing my best to respect each life and place as I do my own.

Imagine a bee sting that results in a 4-day flu; wondering how to discourage the monkey sitting on your head; staring in disbelief as your golden retriever gives a loving lick to the head of a wild duck; being within touching distance of a swimming jaguar; or finding yourself host to a young alligator living in your backyard pond. These and many other such surprising moments are recounted here, using both gentle humor and more serious self-study, with a reflective blending of nature narrative and memoir. I hope that my observations and imaginings of what might be in the minds of non-human creatures will bring new light to the lives readers share with the animals around them, no matter how mundane or extraordinary.

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The Gecko in the Bathtub: Encounters with Marvelous Creatures
by Janina Marie Fuller (Philippines 1978-80)
with illustrations by Maggie Demorest
Peace Corps Writers
June 2022
178 pages
$17.50 (paperback)