The One And Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan is based on the true story of a gorilla named Ivan, who was captured from the Democratic Republic of Congo and spent 27 years living in a cage in a mall before he was moved to Zoo Atlanta in 1994. In her novel, Applegate transforms Ivan into a fictional gorilla who can understand and speak human language, and who tells his story through a series of short, poetic vignettes. Like the real Ivan, the novel’s main character lives in a mall, the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, where he is billed as the “One and Only Ivan” as part of the mall’s daily circus.