An Elephant in the Garden

by Michael Morpurgo

An Elephant in the Garden is Simon Reade’s new adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s best-selling children’s novel.1945. Dresden, Germany. Lizzie, her mother – and an elephant from the zoo, flee the Allied fire-bombing in the end-game of the Second World War.Escaping the Allies’ advance from the West – and also the advancing Russian armies from the East – this extraordinary trio of refugees a downed RAF officer, cowering in a barn; a homeless school choir on the run and their Countess saviour, harbouring them from the Nazis; and the mechanised American cavalry, appearing over the horizon.It is Lizzie’s story – but Marlene, the elephant, is the heroine. Plodding, obdurate, opportunistic, loadbearing, indestructible, cheering – Marlene embodies the stubbornness of the human will and how it will do everything to survive.

60 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2014

About the author

Sir Michael Andrew Morpurgo, OBE, FRSL is the author of many books for children, five of which have been made into films. He also writes his own screenplays and libretti for opera. Born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in 1943, he was evacuated to Cumberland during the last years of the Second World War, then returned to London, moving later to Essex. After a brief and unsuccessful spell in the army, he took up teaching and started to write. He left teaching after ten years in order to set up 'Farms for City Children' with his wife. They have three farms in Devon, Wales and Gloucestershire, open to inner city school children who come to stay and work with the animals. In 1999 this work was publicly recognised when he and his wife were invested a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to youth. In 2003, he was advanced to an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL) in 2004. He was knighted in the 2018 for his services to literature and charity. He is also a father and grandfather, so children have always played a large part in his life. Every year he and his family spend time in the Scilly Isles, the setting for three of his books.

Reviews

[Cissy Moseley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful book based on true events during WWII. Very easy read, written for young people but all ages will enjoy the story and love the characters!

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story, like you are part of the story.

[Joseph Priest · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vaguely remember this being decent

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast read, based on two true stories combined during WWII