The Lion Queen: Rasila Vadher, The First Woman Guardian of the Last Asiatic Lions

After a field trip to the Gir Forest in India, a girl decides that she will make it her life work to care for the wild lions that live there. However, the realities of her home life mean that she has to forget this dream in order to help care of her family. One day, however, the girl learns that the Gir Forest is hiring. She applies and gets the job, but, as the first woman to be hired, she is put in administration. She works hard, eventually making her way to the field where her childhood dream comes true. In the role, she is able to inspire and train more women to work with the animals. In the climactic scene, the protagonist, on patrol by herself, comes across a lion. After a stare down, the lion retreats and the protagonist’s name is finally revealed as she states “I am Rasila - a Lion Queen. And I roar.”

The back matter explains that the book’s protagonist, Rasila Vadher, is a real person, and provides more information about her, the other “lion queens” who work in Gir Forest, and Asiatic lions in general. Surprisingly, this story is contemporary; Vadher was only hired in 2007 - a fact that was left out of the narrative, but one that speaks volumes about misogyny, particularly in India.

While the story is fascinating and one that many are likely unfamiliar with, the narrative is a bit uneven. At the beginning of the book, Singh tries to connect Vadher’s dream with her home life, but the two end up feeling like separate stories. The text, itself, is told in first-person which allows the reader to be close to Vadher and her desires. The parallels between her (and her mother) and the lions - their ferocious ambition, their roars inside and out - is clever and effective.

Anand’s illustrations often further the connections between women and girls and lions. Vadher’s braid is shown whipping behind her like a tail; when Vadher’s mother is being protective, a lion is shown behind her; during the climactic standoff, Vadher’s shadow is that of a lion. The colours in the illustrations are saturated and rich, appealing to the eye and evoking the landscape of this part of India.

With its themes of feminism and environmentalism, The Lion Queen: Rasila Vadher, The First Woman Guardian of the Last Asiatic Lions is a prescient read that will appeal to young animal lovers.