From the Publisher
“…an affecting animal story and a well-paced adventure.”--School Library Journal
"First novelist Kelly crafts a layered, convincing tale of interspecies friendship between individuals who care for each other within the confines of enslavement.”--Horn Book
“A heartfelt…addition to the literature promoting better treatment of our fellow animals.”--Kirkus
"Lynne Kelly has written a story that unwraps the heart and asks it to be brave, loyal, and above all, kind. Readers of all ages will worry for Hastin as he marks the wall that records his bondage to a cruel master, but they will ultimately celebrate his jubilant triumph. This story unwrapped my own heart." –Kathi Appelt, author of the Newbery Honor and New York Times bestseller The Underneath
Children's Literature
- Suzanna E. Henshon
What is it like to train an elephant? When Hastin's sister becomes deathly ill, he boy decides to get a job training an elephant in order to help his family escape poverty. Hastin finds the small elephant, Nandita, trapped in the jungle one day—and he quickly falls in love with his grey-eared friend. As a keeper, Hastin helps feed, train, and take care of the animal so she can be part of a circus act. But the boy quickly discovers that his job is difficult in a myriad of ways. He sees Nandita mistreated and mishandled by other people who work in the circus. Soon Hastin wonders if the elephant will survive long in captivity. Should he return Nandita to her elephant family? In this moving account, a young boy comes to terms with the unethical practices of the circus while trying to reunite with his own family. Readers will enjoy this coming-of-age story; Lynne Kelly's debut novel. Reviewer: Suzanna E. Henshon, Ph.D.
Kirkus Reviews
Can a friendship born in mutual bondage save a boy and an elephant calf in modern India? When 10-year-old Hastin's sister Chanda contracts a fever, their mother must take a job in the city with an abusive employer to pay the doctors. In hopes of freeing her from her obligations, Hastin looks for a job for himself. He lucks into a position as an elephant keeper at a faltering circus owned by the seemingly friendly businessman Timir, who hopes to bring the enterprise back to life. The job, in a jungle far from home, turns out to be more indentured servitude than employment. After a time, it is only Hastin's love and pity for his charge, 2-year-old Nandita, that keeps him from running away on his own. With the guidance of kindly, old Burmese cook Ne Min, Hastin plots to save Nandita from Timir and his cruel elephant trainer, Sharad. Kelly's fine debut brings the jungles of India to life. She skillfully traces the development of Hastin's relationships with Nandita and Ne Min while carefully building the boy's character as he comes of age. Readers may become frustrated that Hastin passes up several opportunities to escape with his elephant friend, but the touching finale will all but make up for that. The cruelty toward both humans and animals is honestly conveyed. A heartfelt if at times emotionally trying addition to the literature promoting better treatment of our fellow animals. (afterword) (Fiction. 9-12)
School Library Journal
Gr 4–6—Ten-year-old Hastin lives in rural India in a thatched-roof mud hut with his widowed mother, Parvati, and younger sister, Chanda. When Chanda falls ill and is hospitalized in the city, Parvati must borrow money to pay for the expenses, and young Hastin determines to repay that loan by securing work as an elephant caretaker. His new employer, Timir, is a mean-tempered taskmaster who transports the boy to a distant jungle and orders him to catch an elephant for his future circus. While Hastin hates the idea of trapping one, he becomes more troubled once Nandita, the chained animal, is brought to the circus grounds. In spite of his loving care of her, the trainer stabs her with a sharp hook to teach her tricks. The one person Hastin trusts is Ne Min, Timir's Burmese cook, who befriends him and seems to have much knowledge of the ways of elephants. He supports Hastin with food, medicine, and sage advice on caring for Nandita. When Timir justly suspects the boy of trying to run away, he penalizes him by lengthening his term of employment. Then Nadita is put in leg shackles, making hope of escape more remote, but Hastin soon proves he is brave enough to defend his own freedom and that of his beloved elephant. With a well-knit plot, vivid setting, and tightening web of suspense, this novel is both an affecting animal story and a well-paced adventure.—Susan W. Hunter, Riverside Middle School, Springfield, VT
