Gator Country, Rebecca Renner
Gator Country, Rebecca Renner
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Gator Country
Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades

Author: Rebecca Renner

Narrator: John Pirhalla

Unabridged: 12 hr 2 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/14/2023

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included

Synopsis

This program features a bonus conversation between the author and Officer Jeff Babauta (who led the undercover investigation known as Operation Alligator Thief) and an introduction read by the author.

"John Pirhalla offers a first-rate narration. His facility with accents gives atmosphere to this true-crime work. He varies his tone, pitch, and cadence to good effect, and effectively handles both its hard-boiled police procedural aspects and the author's loving passages about the ecosystem at the center of the story."—AudioFile

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 listeners 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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

About Rebecca Renner

Rebecca Renner is a contributor to National Geographic, and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Outside Magazine, Tin House, The Paris Review, The Guardian, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other publications. She holds an MFA from Stetson University and is the recipient of the Florida Book Awards’ Gerald Ensley Developing Writer Award. Gator Country is her debut.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Sharon

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, Officer Jeff Babauta had to erase his existing life and become a local. He grew his hair, lived in a remot......more

Goodreads review by Rebecca

Of course I’m going to rate my own book five stars. It’s out in November, but get your preorders in now!......more

Goodreads review by Louise

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 close to these wonderful reptiles differently. I hope more people come into this book ready to challen......more

Goodreads review by Alexis

2 stars Disclaimer: 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 Peg Brown, who is said to be one of the most notorious poachers in Florida. The author takes readers......more

Goodreads review by 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 conclusions surface-level. And I cannot think that this undercover operation was really worth it based on the......more

Quotes

"Fascinating...Renner teases out the moral ambiguities with a grace and rigor reminiscent of Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief. Beautifully evoking the 'sawgrass plains and wild strands of jungle' of its author’s home state, this tale of power, politics, and tradition is a triumph." — Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Combining her skills for investigative reporting, nature writing, and personal anecdotes, Renner explores local folklore and legends, shares her personal experiences and observations... Renner’s passion for her home state, compassion for those less fortunate, and gift of storytelling make this book difficult to put down. Enlightening and full of suspense." — Kirkus, starred review

"In this fascinating blend of true crime and science reporting, Rebecca Renner’s Gator Country tracks Jeff Babauta, an unassuming undercover conservation agent who risks it all to infiltrate an alligator poaching operation in the treacherous Florida wetlands. Told with fierce loyalty to nature and compassion for humans, Renner’s Gator Country delivers all the suspense and subterfuge of a le Carré novel. It’ll even make you love alligators." — Erika Krouse, award-winning author of Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation

"Gator Country brims with energy, confidence, and all the hallmarks of a true-life thriller, but Rebecca Renner's unique talent is her keen skill at bringing her characters to life and giving their motivations full color and context. The result is poignant and wonderful. Gator Country isn't just a thrill for thrill's sake, but a generous, thoughtful exploration of what it means for all of us to live in a habitat of predators. Rebecca Renner is a true talent." — Adam Chandler, author of Drive-Thru Dreams

"A gorgeously rendered ode to the wild characters - both human and animal - of Renner's native Florida, Gator Country takes a deep dive into the fascinatingly blurry line that can exist between poachers and conservationists operating in our own backyards." — Rachel Nuwer, author of Poached

"In Gator Country, Rebecca Renner takes us deep into the Florida swamps, where an undercover agent chases a ring of alligator poachers. From dimly lit backcountry bars where outlaws spin wild yarns, to the reptile farm where the agent feeds fish guts to alligators, Renner shows us a hidden Florida that's changing quickly." —Murray Carpenter, author of Caffeinated

"This astonishing book moves as fast as a hungry gator slicing through the water! Rebecca Renner spins an incredible only-in-Florida true-crime tale that's a must-read for anyone who cares about protecting our environment." — Craig Pittman, author of Oh, Florida!

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