I never really know how to review memoirs because it's someone's life, you know? This is just something I hope everyone reads.

We Will Be Jaguars is the splendid memoir of Indigenous Amazonian activist Nemonte Nenquimo. Raised in a pretty traditional village, her only outside influences were the missionaries. Slowly, civilization crept into the jungle, bringing with it a thirst for oil that would destroy the old ways of life and the forest with it. Nenquimo helped to found an alliance between tribes and villages to fight back against having their land stolen.
This book pulls no punches. It shows evangelicalism at its very worst. There's sexual abuse. There's racism. It's at times a brutal book that makes you hurt for Nenquimo. But it also contains the beauty and joy of their resistance and way of life. It was really well written and the narrator does a really good job bringing the story to life.

This will make you rage and cry for the little girl Nemonte, who taken in by white missionaries takes steps away from her home and people. Nenquimo gets extremely vulnerable here, sharing stories of her wants and dreams as a young Indigenous woman who dared to look beyond just being a mother and wife. She shares how those who should have protected her violate her trust and innocence. However, we see her find her way back to her heritage and culture, growing up to fight for their way of life and existence, showing how important it is to keep rituals and relationship with nature and the land alive and in practice. I am do happy to have witnessed through her words, her journey and growth and healing.

This is a powerful memoir about Nemonte Nenquimo’s life, from her indigenous childhood in Ecuador’s rainforest to her activism in adulthood to save her tribe’s land from Big Oil. It’s long winded at times because it encompasses so much of her life, but I enjoyed learning about the Waorani culture and their deep connection to nature and their ancestors. There is detailed accounts of sexual abuse early in the book stemming from her time spent with white missionaries, so be mindful of that trigger warning. Overall, this is an important memoir that serves as a reminder of the impacts of the oil industry on the land and its people, but also the positive change that people are able to enact in this world. Thanks to NetGalley, RBmedia, and Nemonte Nenquimo for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What an amazing, strong, determined woman.
This book is so well written (and read). Emotional but concise with beautiful descriptions that make you feel that you can really see where Nemonte's homelands.
This book will make you angry and ashamed and grateful that some people are willing to put up a fight. Everyone should read this book.

When I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. I have been fascinated with the story of Jim Elliot and the other missionaries that were killed in Ecudaor in the late 1950s since I first heard the story. I've read nearly every book and watched documentaries and movies like "End of the Spear."

The perspective of Nemonte as a child was really powerful. Learning about her way of life, the difference between the Christian and non-Christian village members, and the influence of Rachel Saint has been eye opening. I'll update my review when I finish the book. I really like the narrator of the audiobook, though.

I had access to an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review, and my opinion is that missions minded people should read the book to hear from the prespective of the prostelytized. We can definitely do better.

We Will be Jaguars was an inspiring and vulnerable story. The narrative was moving and kept me wanting to learn more. It gave me a new perspective on indigenous cultures.

This book is a must read. I’ve been wanting to read more books by indigenous authors and this one was phenomenal. Nemonte Nenquimo’s story was deeply inspiring, challenging, and human. The story highlights the lost connection between many humans and nature and the serious consequences that arise from our actions. Nenquimo’s story is a moving example of how people and the environment can and do coexist. As a white, American this book made me uncomfortable at many points but in an area where I think many, including myself need to be uncomfortable.

This is a must read. Nemonte Nenquimo’s story is inspiring, challenging, and deeply human. Nenquimo’s message isn’t just about climate activism, though that’s a significant part, it’s also a moving example of how people and the environment can and do coexist in our time. This book made me uncomfortable in the way that leaves a mark for the better. I would strongly recommend listening to the audiobook as the narration of this book was exceptional.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this audiobook for review purposes.

I was lucky enough to receive an audio ARC which was read clearly by Christina Ann-Roche. She had a good voice and, despite some very emotional narrative, did not over-dramatise. This book will be released in the UK under the title "We Will Not Be Saved".

I very nearly stopped reading this quite early on. Very glad I didn't but the sexual abuse is extremely hard to listen to. My heart goes out to the girl that Nemonte Nenquimo was that she had to endure that.

The memoir follows Nemonte from her time as a child in the Ecuadorian rainforest where she comes into contact with the missionary, Rachel Saint. Nemonte sees the white girl relatives of Rachel and is envious. She wants the clothes they have, their straight teeth, their way of life. She is a child and which of us hasn't coveted what others have. To this end she gets baptised and goes with the missionaries to learn from them.

However while there she learns about the abuse from other girls before being subjected to it herself. She loses her faith and finds new friends who give her the impetus to find out more about how to help her tribe and home lands. She also meets Mitch, an American activist.

This book is exceptionally powerful. It made me so angry at times that we have all had a hand in destroying these peoples' homes and poisoned their land. There are lots of useful websites given at the end of the book for anyone interested to get more involved.

Nemonte Nenquimo is an inspirational woman with a powerful message that should be spread as far as possible. I feel passionately that we, as so-called civilised people, need to learn to tread more lightly upon this earth.

Excellent book. Highly recommended.

This book is essential reading for everyone. There is a powerful message in theses words that everyone should hear! Nemonte’s story, set in the Amazon, is both shocking and insightful, highlighting the lost connection between humans and nature and the serious consequences that arise. It offers hope while providing a fascinating glimpse into a little-known corner of the Ecuadorean rainforest. I’ll definitely read this book again and encourage others to do the same!

We Will be Jaguars is an incredible memoir from internationally acclaimed climate activist Nemonte Nenquimo. Her story tells of her indigenous childhood in the Ecuadorean rainforest, a clash of cultures, and the fight to save the Amazon rainforest. It is an incredibly crucial book for everyone to read to understand the true existential threat that the loss of these natural spaces is for the world. Nenquimo's narrative is beautifully told, while incredibly painful and gutwrenching. Through her words, I found myself immersed in the spaces, such is her connection and ability to describe the forest and her family. I highly recommend this book.

This book was beautiful and heartbreaking and enlightening and surprising and eye-opening and infuriating and the list could go on and on and on. This book gave me all the feels.

It was an enlightening look into the simplicity and beauty of indigenous life in the rainforest. It also tells a heartbreaking and infuriating story of abuse, misrepresentation, coercion, and dishonesty.

In a general sense, I've always known that large corporations MUST treat indigenous, native, and African peoples negatively in order to get the things they want from them. But this book lays it all bear. It was also very eye-opening and disturbing to read about the abuse and manipulation that comes from Christian missionaries whose motives not be as God-focused as they claim.

Honestly, this is one of those books that's hard to rate. It feels weird to give it 5 stars because it's not an "enjoyable" book, so to speak. It's not something you read that's light and entertaining. However, to give it less than 5 stars would be a travesty because this book should be nothing less than required reading for literally everyone.

Beautifully written and with an authentic voice, it's a truly memorable book of overcoming the odds -- of people standing up and fighting for their heritage and culture against absolutely untenable and seemingly inexhaustible odds.

If you want to learn more about indigenous living and the struggle some cultures are still fighting against oil companies and other commerce-based entities, this is a must-read.

This is the story of Nemonte and her people. It's a story of love, sacrifice, frustration, survival, tradition, and so many other things that only made her and her people stronger.

This is a story of a tribal woman's fight against Big oil companies and doing everything she could to help protect her homeland. It's her story how she was brought up and how she left her amazon rainforest with missionaries and was given an education, and how she never lost that connection to home.

This book is an eye-opener regarding how big companies go in and just try to take over lands that are home to many people. I recommend everyone read this, if for no other reason, to just understand the indigenous peoples of the Amazon's plight to protect their lands.

Thank you to Netgalley and Recorded Books for the opportunity to listen to this amazing story.

What a powerful, terrible, and uplifting story. Nemonte did an amazing job pulling the reader in to her story, inputting us in to the forest with her. It was gut-wrenching to read about colonializing in process from the eyes of a 7yo, to see her view of the adults and their actions as the missionaries and oil company reps and her own views as a child on what they were doing. The strength she had to keep going despite all the conflicting information and tough lessons learned from a young age was and is astonishing. When the story veered into her work as an activist, it was incredibly inspiring. Stories like these show those who are not directly experiencing the atrocities being committed is exactly how to bring the soul back into the fight. Thank you Nemonte and Mitch!

I think this should be added to the required reading list for all environmentalists from here on out. It's incredibly important to the climate movement that we have stories like these, directly from those who lead on the frontlines of resistance against extractive industries. Nemonte's story is so powerful, and I really enjoyed experiencing it. This is a really good read that reveals just how insidious the reaching effects of Christian colonialism are on Indigenous peoples and also shows how it can go hand in hand with laying the groundwork for environmental exploitation and degradation. Along with the powerful accounts of Nemonte's activism, the book is just a beautiful, poetic love letter to the rainforest and her peoples.

Took me a minute to get into this, but once I did I was hopelessly hooked. I will be recommending this memoir non-stop. I honestly didn’t know hardly anything about the Amazonian region’s fights against big oil companies. While I’m still very ignorant, this was an amazing place for me to begin leaning.

Thank you Nemonte Nenquimo, Mitch Anderson, RBmedia, and NetGalley for my advanced review audiobook. My opinions are my own.

If I could rate this 10/10 stars, this book would surely surpass it.

We Will Be Jaguars is an incredibly powerful and important Memoir by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson. Nemonte speaks with her heart and soul taking us with her through her heartbreaking moments, revelations, childhood innocence, defeats and triumphs. This is an important book that everyone needs to read, and it deserves to be highly appreciated. I cried with her, I laughed with her, celebrated with her. I felt her fear, worry and disgust. This is a truly tragic history.

Nemonte teaches us the ways of the Amazon, the ways of her people, their beliefs, fears, storytelling, natural medicines, shamanism, and foraging. They live and breathe the rainforest. After reading this memoir, I have increased knowledge about what is going on in the Amazon rainforest and the impacts of the oil companies not only on the rainforest itself but the impacts on the villages and communities intertwined throughout the forest.

Christine Anne-Roche narrated this book perfectly. She was able to transport me right into the Amazon Rainforest through humming songs, sounds of birdcalls. She may be the best narrator I’ve ever listened to.

A massive thank you to Nemonte Nenquimo and RBmedia for an advance copy of this audiobook, this is my 100% honest feedback. I am truly so honored to have the opportunity to read this book.

I wish I could give this 10 stars! Nemonte tells her heartbreaking and inspiring story in such a beautiful way that it was hard to hit pause on it for the night. It was very eye opening and gave me so much to think about.

Christine Anne-Roche did a perfect job of narrating and everything flowed smoothly.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia - Recorded Books for this advanced audiobook copy of memoir. I recommend this book highly and appreciate the chance to share my thoughts.

First, huge praise to Christine Anne-Roche who narrated the audiobook. They were able to transport me to these lands with the trilling of birdcalls and wildlife, which enhanced the overall experience. The names, people, languages, and dialects all were well served with their talents.

This is an important story. This memoir is troubling and full of atrocities. It is uncomfortable to hear/read. I had to stop listening multiple times to re-center. This book is a first hand account of the horrors of colonialism and I'm ashamed to admit I didn't realize this historical event was so recent. We are not talking about a few centuries in the past with grainy photos to insulate us or convince us it was far enough away to be ignored.

The themes in this book are tragic and far more familiar to the modern era than they should be:
Religion as a tool to shame and abuse
Morality as a cudgel to control behavior
Separation from community to isolate and weaken
Governments selling out their people with underhanded and illegal tactics
Corporations destroying natural recourses for a quick buck
Capitalism destroying a way of life and then making displaced groups dependent on their 'good will'

I recommend this book for anyone familiar with the situation or (like me) who know virtually nothing about it. This was well crafted and approachable and worth ever minute.