The Elephant of Belfast
A Novel
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3.9 • 33 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Inspired by true events, this vivid and moving story of a young woman zookeeper and the elephant she's compelled to protect through the German blitz of Belfast during WWll speaks to not only the tragedy of the times, but also to the ongoing sectarian tensions that still exist in Northern Ireland today—perfect for readers of historical and literary fiction alike.
Belfast, October 1940. Twenty-year-old zookeeper Hettie Quin arrives at the city docks in time to meet her new charge: an orphaned three-year-old Indian elephant named Violet. As Violet adjusts to her new solitary life in captivity and Hettie mourns the recent loss of her sister and the abandonment of her father, new storm clouds gather. A world war rages, threatening a city already reeling from escalating tensions between British Loyalists and those fighting for a free and unified Ireland.
The relative peace is shattered by air-raid sirens on the evening of Easter Tuesday 1941. Over the course of the next five hours, hundreds of bombs rain down upon Belfast, claiming almost a thousand lives and decimating the city. Dodging the debris and carnage of the Luftwaffe attack, Hettie runs to the zoo to make sure that Violet is unharmed. The harrowing ordeal and ensuing aftermath set the pair on a surprising path that highlights the indelible, singular bond that often brings mankind and animals together during horrifying times.
Inspired by a largely forgotten chapter of World War II, S. Kirk Walsh deftly renders the changing relationship between Hettie and Violet, and their growing dependence on each other for survival and solace. The Elephant of Belfast is a complicated and beguiling portrait of hope and resilience--and how love can sustain us during the darkest moments of our lives.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Walsh fictionalizes in her charming debut a little-known true story from WWII, that of a female Irish zookeeper and a 3,000-pound young elephant. The year is 1940 when 20-year-old Hettie Quin, a part-time zookeeper, waits at the Belfast docks for the arrival of Bellevue Zoo's latest attraction—a three-year-old elephant named Violet. It's hardly love at first sight, as Violet nearly pulverizes Hettie. But Hettie, whose older sister, Anne, recently died during childbirth, sees something special in Violet and asks to be made the elephant's full-time keeper. A city gripped by fear of sectarian violence, Belfast is also the target of several German air raids. During one, Hettie rushes to the zoo to see if Violet has survived. She has, but the local constabulary orders the destruction of all dangerous animals. Hettie bravely defies them by running off with Violet and stashing her with an order of nuns, assisted by her brother-in-law, a member of the IRA. Hettie's devotion to Violet forms the emotional core of this novel, which does an excellent job of recreating daily life in Belfast during WWII. Hettie and Violet's bond is one to treasure.
Customer Reviews
Such a bad ending
It was a terrible ending to an otherwise really good book.
It felt like there was a chapter or two missing at the end tho lol.
The Elephant of Belfast
Terrible ending