With the storytelling panache of a veteran journalist, the eye for detail of a moviemaker, and the heart of an animal rights advocate, Mira Tweti takes readers into a rarely seen world of animal rescue. Where do "exotic" pets go when their owners tire of their exotic needs? The animals in question -- rats, potbellied pigs, skunks, raccoons, horses, ferrets, African Pygmy hedgehogs, lions, and tigers -- might be born in captivity but are neither fully domesticated nor wholly wild. Their rescuers, from a couple who shares their home with 50 skunks to actress Tippi Hedren's Shambhala Preserve for big cats, work under the radar. These committed individuals (who some would say should be committed) offer unconditional love and a permanent home. Filled with characters, action, and rollercoaster emotions, this is ultimately a revelatory and celebratory tribute to life, in all its many and multi-faceted forms.