An Elephant in the Garden
Inspired by a True Story
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4.6 • 97 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
Lizzie and Karl's mother is a zoo keeper; the family has become attached to an orphaned elephant named Marlene, who will be destroyed as a precautionary measure so she and the other animals don't run wild should the zoo be hit by bombs. The family persuades the zoo director to let Marlene stay in their garden instead. When the city is bombed, the family flees with thousands of others, but how can they walk the same route when they have an elephant in tow, and keep themselves safe? Along the way, they meet Peter, a Canadian navigator who risks his own capture to save the family.
As Michael Morpurgo writes in an author's note, An Elephant in the Garden is inspired by historical truths, and by his admiration for elephants, "the noblest and wisest and most sensitive of all creatures." Here is a story that brings together an unlikely group of survivors whose faith in kindness and love proves the best weapon of all.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Inspired by a true story about an elephant rescued from a Belfast zoo during WWII, acclaimed British author Morpurgo (War Horse) pens a historical novel about a German family's struggle to survive as their country is torn apart. The story within a story begins with Lizzie, an aging woman in a Canadian nursing home, telling her nurse and her nurse's nine-year-old son, Karl, that she had an elephant in her garden when she was a child. In 1945 Dresden, 16-year-old Lizzie's father is serving in the war, and her zookeeper mother decides to save an elephant named Marlene from the mercy killings exacted on other animals prior to the anticipated bombings. Marlene lives in their garden, walks on leashes, and stuns neighbors until the devastating bombing of Dresden forces Lizzie, her mother, and brother on an even more surprising journey across Germany seeking safety. Morpurgo crafts a thought-provoking and perilous encounter with an enemy combatant who joins their party and eventually forges a believable romance with Lizzie. The novel's clean prose delivers a gripping and unconventional perspective on the tumultuous era. Ages 10 14.
Customer Reviews
Beautiful story
Loved reading this amazing story, so beautifully told. Couldn’t stop reading.
Elephant in the garden
This book was perfect for my daughter. She loves to learn about history but never liked reading traditional history books, so I picked this title because it appeared to include some important references to past events while incorporating actual things that happen to a young girls like her. She gave this book a FIVE STAR rating, after I asked her if she would like to read more books by the same author.
Amazing
Loved this book. It shows what it is really like during the war. Can't stop reading it over and over again. An event happens and you can't wait to find out what happens next. This book can go really well with a study about WWII in school.