"Sue Tidwell and her husband's first memorable experience in Africa involved a species that not many would look forward to seeing in their motherland continent: tsetse flies. Getting attacked by possibly infected tsetse flies was one of the many surprises that lay in store for the two Western travelers in the perilous wilds of Africa. Cries of the Savanna depicts Tidwell's unforgettable, surprise-packed trip to Africa's wilderness and the harsh truths she discovered about nature. Her story includes various challenging and memorable experiences, such as hours of being jostled about in a Land Cruiser, trekking miles through the bushes, dodging elephants and potholes, and more. Coming from an American culture that glamorized nature, as she familiarized herself with Africa's wilderness, laws, and dangers, Tidwell discovered that reality is much less attractive than the way it is portrayed on the internet.

Even as an African, I learned a great deal about Africa from Cries of the Savanna - like the role tourism plays in Africa's economy and why some animal populations must be controlled to maintain balance in nature. Apart from being quite informative, this is an incredibly fun, addictive read. The choice of words and sense of humor brought a smile to my face as I read the book, which also contains stories about the author's upbringing in the US and her growing up with hunters, which makes it easy to connect with her. The book provides a fascinating insight into the reality of living in the wilderness of Africa. It's as entertaining as a thrilling adventure movie, yet brimming with enough information to match a documentary film. If Sue Tidwell takes another trip and writes about them, I'm reading that book as well."