An Elephant in the Garden

By Michael Morpurgo

A family flees a bombed city with an elephant, facing perilous challenges and unexpected allies.

4.2/5 Goodreads · 13,452 ratings

224 pages· 36,004 words· Est. 4 hour read

$9.99Save 4%

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Bookroo's summary

In a war-torn city, Lizzie, Karl, and their mother face an impossible choice: save Marlene, an orphaned elephant, or leave her to certain death. As bombs fall, they embark on a perilous journey, Marlene in tow, through a landscape fraught with danger. Along the way, they encounter Peter, a daring Canadian navigator, who risks everything to help them. Can this unlikely group of survivors find safety and hope amidst chaos? Discover a tale of courage, compassion, and the extraordinary bond between humans and animals.

From the publisher

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.

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