We Will Be Jaguars (Reese's Book Club Pick) - by Nemonte Nenquimo & Mitch Anderson

Book Synopsis

A Reese's Book Club selection in hardcover, this critically acclaimed memoir from a fearless activist tells the story of her Indigenous childhood, a clash of cultures, and the fight to save the Amazon rainforest and protect her people

Born into the Waorani tribe of Ecuador's Amazon rainforest--one of the last to be contacted by missionaries in the 1950s--Nemonte Nenquimo had a singular upbringing. She was taught about plant medicines, foraging, oral storytelling, and shamanism by her elders. She played barefoot in the forest and didn't walk on pavement or see a car until she was a teenager and left to study with an evangelical missionary group in the city. But after Nenquimo's ancestors began appearing in her dreams, pleading with her to return and embrace her own culture, she listened.

Nenquimo returned to the forest and traditional ways of life and became one of the most forceful voices in climate change activism. She spearheaded an alliance of indigenous nations across the Upper Amazon and led her people to a landmark victory against Big Oil, protecting over a half million acres of primary rainforest.

We Will Not Be Saved is an astonishing memoir by an equally astonishing woman. Nenquimo digs into generations of oral history, uprooting centuries of conquest, and hacking away at racist notions of Indigenous peoples. Ultimately, she reveals a life story as rich, harsh, and vital as the Amazon rainforest herself.

Review Quotes

"Everyone should read this--never has a book been more urgent. Truly soul-stirring, Nemonte's book is a radical manifesto for our times. It moved me to tears. Her story flows like a mighty river, and I was utterly taken by its current."
-- "Vanessa Kirby, actress and activist"

"We Will Be Jaguars is the story of the humanity and fierce determination of Nemonte Nenquimo, one of the most effective leaders for Indigenous rights and environmental justice. In her gripping memoir, Nenquimo shares her journey from childhood to warrior leader, fighting the forces of greed and destruction that threaten the Waorani People and their vast, spectacular rainforest. Her story highlights the love and strength required to overcome the forces that threaten our planet."-- "Laurene Powell Jobs, founder and president, Emerson Collective"

"[An] impassioned biography...this fascinates and inspires."-- "Publisher's Weekly"

"An astonishing and important book, beautifully written by a true storyteller."-- "The Explorers Journal"

"An essential memoir of Indigenous resistance to economic subjugation and cultural extinction."-- "Kirkus"

"Astonishing."-- "People"

"Extraordinary ... A potent memoir and call to action, offering a galvanizing portrait of environmental activism, Indigenous resistance, and the devastation wrought by capitalist industrialization."-- "Library Journal (starred review)"

"Eye-opening... indispensable testimony to Nenquimo's people, their history, and their homelands that continues the unceasing fight for Indigenous rights and environmental protection across the Americas..readers will find themselves heartbroken, infuriated, and elated."-- "Booklist"

"Full of wisdom, sadness, flourishes of joy and more than a few psychedelic visions, We Will Not be Saved is testament not only to Nenquimo's resilience but also her deep spiritual connection to her land and ancestors. ... [It] plant[s] readers right in the heart of the rainforest, immersing them in its sounds, smells and kaleidoscopic landscapes. Many are the memoirs that profess to tell untold stories, but here that claim is watertight."-- "The Guardian"

"If you want to understand the climate crisis and do something about it, read this book. Nemonte's writing is as provocative as it is inspiring, a heroine speaking her truth which is exactly what we need to hear. Had we listened long ago to these voices we wouldn't be in the eye of the storm now."-- "Emma Thompson"

"Indigenous leadership is at the heart of protecting the Amazon and fighting climate change. Nemonte Nenquimo's story in We Will Be Jaguars is a powerful reminder that we must act now!"-- "One Earth"

"Inspired and rare...In this lyrically written memoir... Nenquimo sharply conveys the sheer confusion and terror of colonialism for the Waorani...Her story is one of fierce determination to claim a heritage that was nearly stolen from her."-- "BookPage"

"My friends Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson have created something remarkable: a written story of indigenous life and struggle that embraces the deep oral storytelling tradition from which it springs. We Will Be Jaguars is a beautiful memoir of the Amazon rainforest, resistance, and love."-- "Leonardo DiCaprio"

"Nemonte Nenquimo's captivating memoir is both a dire warning and fierce manifesta. It is powerful, pointed and vital to understanding the climate change crisis and ecological devastation we are currently experiencing."-- "Ms. Magazine"

"On one level, Nemonte Nenquimo's memoir is inspiring, moving, and unforgettable; a rarely seen, firsthand insight into a childhood spent in the Amazon rainforest and the extraordinary story of her fight to save it from oil companies. On another level, this intimate and motivating book should spur action from all of us: the fight to save our planet from exploitation is something that affects us all and is the responsibility of us all. Nenquimo's leadership and example should shame those of us in industrialized countries into changing the way we live and the way we see our world."-- "Rowan Hooper, author of How to Save the World for Just a Trillion Dollars and senior editor of the New Scientist"

About the Author

Nemonte Nenquimo is a leader of the Waorani people, cofounder of the Ceibo Alliance, and an internationally acclaimed activist. Born in the Amazon region of Ecuador in 1985, she is a winner of the 2020 Goldman Environmental Prize and was named in Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2020 list (lauded by Leonardo DiCaprio). Mitch Anderson is the founder and executive director of Amazon Frontlines, which supports the struggles of Indigenous peoples to defend their rights to land, life, and cultural survival in the Amazon rainforest. A native of the Bay Area, he is Nenquimo's partner, and they have two young children.