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Shola was 5 when she was found by scientists in the Bakuli National Park in Africa. Exhausted and half-starved, she had been kept safe by a family of elephants who had treated her as one of their young. Shola goes to live with the scientists and their son, Leo, who is thrilled to have an older sister. But when Leo's parents are killed in a plane crash, Leo is sent back to live in England. Returning to Africa some years later, Leo is shocked to find that Shola hasn't spoken since the tragic accident and that a growing number of the elephants are being killed for ivory. He and Shola set off to find "their" elephants, despite the danger of the poachers, and Shola soon finds her voice. This is Shola's story, told by Leo, about the idyllic life they lead in Africa surrounded by wildlife—an idyllic life that is cut short by danger and death. It's a novel of adventure and family ties crossing two cultures—African and European, and two kingdoms—human and animal.
After being raised by a herd of elephants in the African wilderness, a young girl named Shola must confront the trauma of her past and the threat of poachers to protect her animal family. Following the death of her adoptive scientist parents, Shola retreats into silence, struggling to reconcile her human identity with her upbringing among elephants. Her foster brother, Leo, returns to Africa years later to find her isolated and the herd under siege by ivory hunters. The narrative is presented through Leo's perspective, documenting their efforts to navigate the dangerous landscape and the eventual restoration of Shola's voice.
This novel presents a narrative that emphasizes the bond between humans and the natural world through a lens of survival and loss. The premise suggests a focus on the emotional development of the protagonist as she navigates the divide between two distinct cultures. Readers likely find the depiction of the African landscape and the plight of the elephants to be the primary drivers of the story's tension. The work functions as a character-driven adventure that highlights the resilience of family ties in the face of external threats. The story structure relies on the contrast between the idyllic memories of childhood and the harsh realities of the poaching crisis.
Page Count:
128
Publication Date:
2001-01-01
Publisher:
Collins
ISBN-10:
0007128193
ISBN-13:
9780007128198
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