Operation Okapi

Two eras. Two broken souls.
One extraordinary animal that could change everything.

By LynnLee Schmidt

In 1920s Kansas, Lyda Johnson is drowning in grief after the sudden death of her husband. Desperate to find meaning in a life she no longer recognizes, she embarks on an unlikely journey to the Belgian Congo, where a mysterious forest-dwelling animal known as the okapi offers the possibility of a new beginning.

With the help of an Azande guide and an unlikely ally within the colonial establishment, Lyda creates a secret sanctuary for orphaned okapis. But as she begins to heal, protecting the animals means defying colonial authority—and risking everything she's fought to reclaim.

Four decades later, the Congo is struggling in the violent aftermath of independence. Clarke Abbott, a hardened French mercenary haunted by his past, accepts an assignment to escort a herd of okapis through rebel-controlled territory. But when he encounters a young Mbuti man determined to protect his people's ancestral homeland, Clarke must confront the moral cost of his past and decide what he's willing to sacrifice for redemption.

Separated by decades but united by an extraordinary creature, Lyda and Clarke discover that saving another life may be the only way to reclaim their own.

Rich in historical detail and alive with the beauty and danger of the Congolese rainforest, Operation Okapi is a sweeping dual-timeline novel about grief, courage, and the unexpected bonds between humans and the natural world.