The Hope of Elephants
-
- $20.99
-
- $20.99
Publisher Description
An inspiring coming-of-age novel in verse about weathering the uncertainty that comes with family illness perfect for fans of Starfish and Red, White, and Whole.
Cass and her parents haven’t let her dad’s cancer stop them from having a good life—full of love and poems and one annual World Series game. Now that Dad’s cancer is back, Cass overhears the doctor say that she has a 50% chance of inheriting her dad's genetic mutation, Li-Fraumeni syndrome. There’s a genetic test Cass can take that will tell her for sure. There’s still so much she wants to do—play baseball, study at the zoo, travel the world with her best friend, Jayla. Would it be better not to know?
When it turns out Dad’s cancer is worse this time, Cass is determined to keep up their World Series tradition while navigating all the change and uncertainty that lies ahead.
Poignant and powerful, Cass’s story brings the pains and anxiety linked with illness to the surface, and reminds us that sometimes hope is worth holding on to.
Praise for The Hope of Elephants:
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of 2023An NCTE Notable Poetry Book of 2022A 2022 Cybils finalist for Novels in VerseA Whitney Awards finalist
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
On her 12th birthday, Cassandra Hollens's father is diagnosed with Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a mutated p53 gene that makes him susceptible to cancer (which "visits my dad/ in all the odd years/ of my life"). Cass is used to the routine that attends his cancer treatment—trips to the hospital, sanitizing, and homeschooling to avoid germs—but when she realizes she may have the same mutation, she grapples with whether to find out for sure. As her dad's condition worsens, Cass looks into a local study of elephants, which have 20 sets of the cancer-fighting p53 gene, and seeks a way to get her dad to another World Series, which the family has attended eight times following an early bout of his illness. This compassionate verse novel by Hill (You'll Find Me) holds space for Cass's wide-ranging feelings, tracing through the tween's blunt, realistic voice the way that baseball, close friendships, and the family's connection to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, offer succor. An ongoing pro/con list reveals Cass's relatable struggles and closely held dreams—to play baseball, travel the world—but also a stark truth: life can't be boiled down to a list. Protagonists read as white; Cass's best friend cues as Black. Ages 10–up.
