In the age of the musical Hamilton, where people are learning about history and being entertained at the same time, a book comes along that will also educate, but on a national global issue and it does as well entertain the reader. This is the story of a boy living in Atlanta, who is given an orangutan by his father. They live fairly peaceably for years, it's not an easy situation, but they manage. Until one day Raja, that's orangutan's name, in a fit of anger bites off John's finger. Things do not change automatically, but eventually John's parents divorce and John and his mom move to Oregon, leaving the dad and Raja in Atlanta. After a some time passes John's father calls to say he is having financial difficulty and he's selling the house and giving Raja to a zoo. John feels the need to say goodbye to Raja, but when he returns to his old home things seem to have gone terribly wrong and John feels an overwhelming need to make things right. It seems there are many instances where people have taken these creatures from their homes thinking they would make good pets, but unfortunately they do not. It's unfortunate for the people, but it's a shamefully horrible situation for the animal. This is not light summer reading, but don't be put off by that, because it's an important issue, right now, today. Elliot Schrefer does such fabulous research and entwines that with relatable characters. That combination along with a meaningful and poignant story are what makes this a must read.