Leopards at My Door

Harriet Denison joined the Peace Corps in 1966 and spent two years in Tanzania teaching at Bwiru Girls' Secondary School. At the time, Tanzania was a new nation full of optimism and challenges, much like Denison. Mixing details of her daily activities with her adventures, Leopards at My Door gives readers a sense of the life of a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa in the 1960s. Situated on Lake Victoria near the Serengeti, Bwiru Girls' School had regular visits from leopards as well as an array of other wildlife. One of the highlights for Denison during her time in Africa was her stint as an instructor with the Outward Bound Mountain School and subsequent climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro. After two years as a Peace Corps volunteer, Denison traveled for several weeks before returning to the United States. In her chapter "A Lesson from the Poorest of the Poor," Denison describes volunteering in India for a few weeks, specifically working with people who suffered with leprosy. At the time, the Catholic nun Denison worked with was little known beyond Calcutta. Years later, that same nun, Mother Teresa, would be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for her work among India's poorest. In Denison's final chapter, she reflects on her Peace Corps experience and how it affected the remainder of her life. She went on to serve on nonprofit boards, serve various communities, and of course, travel internationally.