About Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades
David Grann meets Susan Orlean in this page-turning true story of an underground operation into the mysterious world of alligator poaching and its larger than life Floridian characters
To catch a Florida Man, you have to become one, and that’s what Officer Jeff Babauta did. As his ponytailed, whiskey-soaked alter ego, he established Sunshine Alligator Farm. His goal? Infiltrate the shady world of illegal poachers in the Florida Everglades in order to protect the natural world.
A head-spinning adventure soon unfolds. Jeff deals with glow-in-the-dark alligators and high-speed airboat rides, but quickly learns that not all poachers are villains. They’re simply people trying to survive, fighting against the poverty and greed holding them down. Jeff wants to solve the mystery of alligator poachers, and in doing so he must venture deeper into a strange ecosystem where right is wrong, and justice comes at the cost of those who’ve welcomed him into their world.
Gator Country is the twisting true story of the impossible choices individuals must make to stay afloat in this world. Through its wholly unique blend of reporting, nature writing, and personal narrative, this book transports readers to vibrant and dangerous Florida landscapes and offers intimate portraits of those who call the region home. Broad in scope and vivid in detail, Gator Country is a fast paced tale of the risks people will take to survive in one of the world’s most beautiful yet formidable landscapes and the undercover investigation that threatens to topple the whole scheme.
Detail
Complete Title: Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Number of Pages: 288
Publication Time: November 14, 2023
Publisher: Flatiron Books
ISBN: 1250842573
ISBN13: 9781250842572
About Rebecca Renner
Rebecca Renner
Rebecca Renner was born in Gainesville, FL. She writes mostly for National Geographic, but her other work has appeared in The New York Times, the Paris Review, the Atlantic, Tin House, and more. Her highly anticipated first book Gator Country will be published by Flatiron Books in November of 2023.
Contact publicity@flatironbooks.com for booking.
Reviews Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades
Rebecca Renner
Rebecca Renner’s book, Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades, is a true crime book about catching alligator poachers in the Florida everglades. In order to do that, Office…
Sharon Orlopp
Of course I’m going to rate my own book five stars. It’s out in November, but get your preorders in now…
Louise C
This book does what the most important books should do, I think: make you see the world differently. I went in for an adventure, and I came out seeing alligators and the people who live their lives cl…
Alexis
2 starsDisclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher.In Gator Country, Rebecca Renner goes in depth about poaching in Florida. The reader learns about the legend of the mysterious…
Lexi Denee
Where to even begin with this one?! I think the highest compliment that I can give Gator Country is that it made me less afraid of alligators. As someone with an incredibly irrational fear of snakes…
Kristina
I enjoyed learning history about my home state, but this missed for me. I appreciated the author’s observations about the criminal justice system and the grey areas of the law, but found the conclusio…
Roland Bailey
This lyrical, novel-like nonfiction—dare I call it a thriller?—is one of my new favorite books. It’s fast-paced, especially for nonfiction. It follows many of adventure journalism’s conventions, l…
Rachel R
In “Gator Country,” Rebecca Renner delves into the wild heart of the Sunshine State, delivering a narrative that is as fascinating as it is fearless. Renner’s prose, sharp and evocative, takes readers…
Katie (katieladyreads)
“to save the forgotten creatures, the ugly things, the scaly things, the things it seemed no one loved”wow! It’s been a while since I’ve read a nonfiction book that captivated me from start to finish…