Genre Fiction
![S. Kirk Walsh - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_s_kirk_walsh.jpg)
The Elephant of Belfast: A Novel
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.
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.
Editorial Reviews
32nd Annual Reading the West Book Awards Nominee
The Christian Science Monitor, A Best Book of the Year
Kirkus Reviews, 1 of 10 Fiction Books to Look for This Year
"In 1941, with Nazi bombs shattering Belfast, a young zookeeper rushed to save the elephant in her charge. Walsh's lovely debut spins this historical sliver into a vivid novel of redemption and mutual care." -The New York Times Book Review
"Based on real events, this engrossing novel takes place a year into the Second World War. A three-year-old elephant named Violet arrives at Belfast's Bellevue Zoo, where Hettie Quin, a young zookeeper mourning the recent death of a sister, finds purpose and solace in caring for her . . . The novel vividly evokes the speed with which war makes the commonplace surreal, as Hettie and Violet become fugitives in a ruined city." ––The New Yorker
"The streets of Belfast, both before and after destruction, are compelling in their beauty and horror, and Walsh does well to paint the specifics of such a singular landscape . . . Ultimately, the story is redemptive. It is the second step of recovery, after all, to believe in something bigger than yourself, like an elephant." -Steve Amick, Michigan Public Radio
"Breathtaking . . . Walsh explores love, loyalty, and tragedy at a level that makes walking an elephant seem heartbreakingly simple . . . It's heartening to remember that even through the worst sacrifices, love and courage can prevail." -Rebekah Denn, Christian Science Monitor
"A charming debut around a little-known chapter of World War II-the German blitz of Belfast in a city already reeling from sectarian violence. But the real heart of this story centers around the love and devotion between Hettie and Violet, a twenty-year-old zookeeper and an orphaned three-year-old Indian elephant. While war rages on, Hettie will go to great lengths to protect Violet giving readers a riveting story of strength and survival, hope and resilience." -Barnes & Noble
"A beguiling and compelling story of historical fiction set during the 1941 Belfast Blitz . . . Walsh's research pays dividends for the reader as the sights, sounds, and smells of Belfast rise in the imagination . . . The Elephant of Belfast is a heartfelt and heartbreaking, ultimately inspiring and uplifting, tale of coming-of-age in extraordinary circumstance...
The Christian Science Monitor, A Best Book of the Year
Kirkus Reviews, 1 of 10 Fiction Books to Look for This Year
"In 1941, with Nazi bombs shattering Belfast, a young zookeeper rushed to save the elephant in her charge. Walsh's lovely debut spins this historical sliver into a vivid novel of redemption and mutual care." -The New York Times Book Review
"Based on real events, this engrossing novel takes place a year into the Second World War. A three-year-old elephant named Violet arrives at Belfast's Bellevue Zoo, where Hettie Quin, a young zookeeper mourning the recent death of a sister, finds purpose and solace in caring for her . . . The novel vividly evokes the speed with which war makes the commonplace surreal, as Hettie and Violet become fugitives in a ruined city." ––The New Yorker
"The streets of Belfast, both before and after destruction, are compelling in their beauty and horror, and Walsh does well to paint the specifics of such a singular landscape . . . Ultimately, the story is redemptive. It is the second step of recovery, after all, to believe in something bigger than yourself, like an elephant." -Steve Amick, Michigan Public Radio
"Breathtaking . . . Walsh explores love, loyalty, and tragedy at a level that makes walking an elephant seem heartbreakingly simple . . . It's heartening to remember that even through the worst sacrifices, love and courage can prevail." -Rebekah Denn, Christian Science Monitor
"A charming debut around a little-known chapter of World War II-the German blitz of Belfast in a city already reeling from sectarian violence. But the real heart of this story centers around the love and devotion between Hettie and Violet, a twenty-year-old zookeeper and an orphaned three-year-old Indian elephant. While war rages on, Hettie will go to great lengths to protect Violet giving readers a riveting story of strength and survival, hope and resilience." -Barnes & Noble
"A beguiling and compelling story of historical fiction set during the 1941 Belfast Blitz . . . Walsh's research pays dividends for the reader as the sights, sounds, and smells of Belfast rise in the imagination . . . The Elephant of Belfast is a heartfelt and heartbreaking, ultimately inspiring and uplifting, tale of coming-of-age in extraordinary circumstance...
Readers Top Reviews
AliceABookieKathr
Seriously, I couldn't finish reading this book. I was so looking forward to reading the part of this book that was based on the true story of a female zookeeper keeping an elephant safe during the Belfast Blitz, but I was well over a third of the way into the book and that part of the story hadn't even started yet. Instead I was subjected to a ridiculous character who is attracted to the man/boy who had already sexually assaulted her once and puts herself in a situation to be assaulted yet again! As a survivor of sexual abuse, I really really don't need that in my life. The author is good at creating mood and atmosphere, but her characters are two-dimensional caricatures and the exposition is far too drawn out and feels too much like a cheap romance novel. Not a fan.
Natalie G.Natalie
I enjoyed reading THE ELEPHANT OF BELFAST. I fell in love with Hettie and Violet-and what they encounter together from the opening scene to the end of the novel. This is a story about a young woman and a young elephant, but also so much more: There is a sweetness and a bitterness and a heartbreak found in many different places : the zoo (of course!), the bustling of St. George's market, the dance floor of the Floral Hall, the famous Belfast shipyards (where the Titanic was built) and the Antrim Road. Toward the end of the novel Hettie says to herself, "We are all orphans." This moment for me spoke a universal truth that I had never encountered before in fiction or non-fiction. As the pandemic has taught us, we are all orphans in one way or another. We all lose - and gain- parts of ourselves through life's defining experiences. I learned valuable lessons watching Hettie and Violet save each other during a most difficult period. I am better for having read this story, with its big heart , tenderness and unexpected knowingness.
