In the book, the author chronicles the time he spent volunteering at the Fauna Sanctuary, an animal refuge in Quebec for chimpanzees that had been used for biomedical research.

Westoll explains that most were separated from their mothers at birth, injected with diseases and deadly viruses, repeatedly operated on, and frequently driven mad through isolation and social deprivation.

[2] The chimpanzees, whose life expectancy is similar to humans, had spent over a decade living in "horrific lab conditions".

[3] Speaking at the award ceremony for the 2012 "Charles Taylor Prize", Westoll said "he became attached to each of the animals", and that "the strong feelings remain".

[6] It was named a "Book of the Year" by Quill & Quire, The Globe and Mail, Amazon.ca, and CTV's Canada AM.