The Boy from the Wild - An adventure story never told until now.
“A gripping and bold account of a special love for Africa. A story that will leave you weeping and ready for your own African adventure.”
Image Supplied by The Boy from the Wild
The Boy from the Wild as told by Peter Meyer and written with International Bestselling Author of The Elephant Whisperer, Graham Spence, showcases the extraordinary story and adventures of Peter’s beloved father, James Meyer and his love for the African wilderness. The book also gives a delightfully detailed account of Peter’s childhood growing up at Karkloof Valley Nature Reserve, a hidden wilderness gem situated in the hilly countryside of Kwa-Zulu Natal.
James Meyer and his brother in South Africa
Image Supplied by The Boy from the Wild
Born in England to an entrepreneurial family, James Meyer however spent many years as a young man growing up in South Africa, attending the prestigious boarding school, Hilton College. It was here that James fell in love with Africa. At a young age, overlooking the wild African terrain and a valley the Zulus coined The Valley of Heaven, James vowed to someday return to this majestic part of South Africa and call it home. As life would have it, James was called back to England to look after the family business as his father became seriously ill. A young adult now, James had to quickly learn the ropes of entrepreneurship and business, and quickly grew the family business into a successful global property empire. He however had left his heart back in South Africa, and was desperate to return to the beauty and splendour of the bush he so dearly loved.
30 years later, after selling the family business, James moved back to South Africa to fulfil his dream, creating Karkloof Valley Nature Reserve. It is here that Peter Meyer, James’ son grew up surrounded by beautiful wilderness, elephants and rhinos in his backyard, and many a unknow path to explore with his best friend, a Zulu boy. Peter certainly grew up in no ordinary manner, and this special book is testimony to the many wonderful adventures he had growing up on the Karkloof reserve. From frightening incidents with rhinos to unfortunate face-to-face encounters with snakes which resulted in two snake bites, Peter brilliantly narrates the memories of his childhood, as any young boy would experience growing up in such an extraordinary manner.
Peter Meyer at the Karkloof Waterfall
Image Supplied by The Boy from the Wild
As Peter grew up and moved back to England to attend school at age 9, he like his father, always felt a kinship to Africa and the land he had once called home. Surrounded by uninhabited terrain and wild animals, growing up at Karkloof had certainly prepared Peter for the life he calls the concrete jungle, often referencing the similarities between modern city living and life in the bush. The Meyer’s sold Karkloof Valley Nature Reserve when Peter was quite young, but the boy from the wild never forgot his roots and in part, is what lead to him co-write his story.
What makes this book even more compelling, is the special bond Peter shared with his farther. As a young man with access to some of Europe’s finest tertiary institutions, Peter went on to study hospitality in Switzerland and started a very successful career in the industry, working for large hotel groups all over the world. When his father fell ill with cancer and subsequently passed, Peter re-examined his life and place in the world. For him, it was more than losing a deeply-loved father. James had been his best friend, mentor and inspiration – a man whose vast wisdom and sheer zest for life energized all round him.
Peter Meyer as a young child growing up in the bush
Image Supplied by The Boy from the Wild
“I looked back on the life I had created, and felt that something had fundamentally changed in me when my father passed away. We truly had a special relationship and we both shared an unalterable love for Africa. My dad had followed his passions and dreams with such fervour, and I knew it was time for to do the same for myself. My dad and I both had a wonderful appreciation for the arts and I knew I had to do and I thank my father for instilling this in me,” recalls Peter.
The Boy from the Wild is a gripping tale of remarkable people fearlessly living out their ambitions with honesty, vigour and courage. It also is a poignant story of a granite-strong bond between a father and son. A bond that could never be broken.
The Boy from the Wild is now available on Amazon.com and will be officially launched in South Africa in February 2018. http://a.co/h32nNrJ
For access to The Boy from the Wild on social media, kindly see below:
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Website: http://petermeyer.com/the-boy-from-the-wild/
YouTube Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEGvHQ7_YTw
