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Listening for Lions
"If you are among evil people, you must be like the lion, gathering strength and awaiting your time."
Africa is the only home Rachel Sheridan has ever known. But when influenza strikes down her missionary parents, she is left vulnerable prey to her family's wicked neighbors. Surrounded by greed and lies, Rachel is entangled in a criminal scheme and sent to England, where she is forced into a life of deception. Like the lion, she must be patient and strong, awaiting the moment when she can take control of her own fate—and find her way home again at last.
Africa is the only home Rachel Sheridan has ever known. But when influenza strikes down her missionary parents, she is left vulnerable prey to her family's wicked neighbors. Surrounded by greed and lies, Rachel is entangled in a criminal scheme and sent to England, where she is forced into a life of deception. Like the lion, she must be patient and strong, awaiting the moment when she can take control of her own fate—and find her way home again at last.
208 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2005
94 people are currently reading
3746 people want to read
About the author
Gloria Whelan
76 books343 followersGloria Whelan is the best-selling author of many novels for young readers, including Homeless Bird, winner of the National Book Award; Fruitlands: Louisa May Alcott Made Perfect; Angel on the Square and its companion, The Impossible Journey; Once on This Island, winner of the Great Lakes Book Award; Farewell to the Island; and Return to the Island. She lives with her husband, Joseph, in the woods of northern Michigan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 638 reviews
July 24, 2008
I absolutely loved the first two thirds of this book. It received the National Book Award, and I can see why. I kept thinking "this is a book I wish I could write!" Whelan's prose is lovely and her imagery is precise and perfect. I love the way she uses imagery to tie landscape and characters together--wonderful. The book is taut with suspense, the heroine engaging and morally sensitive, and her dilemma is real for a child. She tries so hard to do what is right! I also agree with a comment by my friend Kristine that she appreciated the book's references to Dickens because this tale itself is also quite "dickensian."
All this praise applies to the first two thirds of the book. But why did her editor let the final third slide? After the climax, the last section of the book is a very long denoument. This wonderful story actually becomes tedious because of a lengthy summary of predictable events until Rachel gets back to Africa. I guess that provided closure for the author, but the way she wrote it (tell rather than show) left me disappointed.
It is hard to choose ratings sometimes. I would have given this book a 4 or even 5, but it fizzled in the end. I still think Listening for Lions is worth reading just for the first two thirds, though! If some of my friends read this book, I'd really like to hear your opinions.
All this praise applies to the first two thirds of the book. But why did her editor let the final third slide? After the climax, the last section of the book is a very long denoument. This wonderful story actually becomes tedious because of a lengthy summary of predictable events until Rachel gets back to Africa. I guess that provided closure for the author, but the way she wrote it (tell rather than show) left me disappointed.
It is hard to choose ratings sometimes. I would have given this book a 4 or even 5, but it fizzled in the end. I still think Listening for Lions is worth reading just for the first two thirds, though! If some of my friends read this book, I'd really like to hear your opinions.
July 27, 2020
“They were all brilliant. They wrote books and painted pictures, and if they ever stopped talking, which I was sure they would never do, they planned to change the world.”
― Gloria Whelan, Listening for Lions
This is the second book I have read by Gloria Whelan. The first, Homeless Bird, was extraordinary. While Listening for Lions did not make it onto the list of my favorites, I still think it is a good read that many fans of Historical Fiction will enjoy.
The book is set in Africa, (at first). Rachel is a young girl and her parents run a hospital where they treat people with influenza. Tragically, Rachel's parents both wind up catching it and they do not survive, leaving Rachel on her own.
Rachel becomes enmeshed in a scheme by her evil neighbors who temporarily assume charge of her, through lies and deceit.
To tell you the truth, that is just the surface of the book. I do not want to say to much but what this book is really about is Rachel's journey as she comes into herself and develops her own identity encountering many obstacles along the way as well as much love found in the most surprising places. (Not romantic love..(this book has no romance in it).
What I liked best about this book is what I adored about Homeless Bird. The vivid descriptions of Africa were stunning, particularly the animal descriptions. Whelan's books, at times, read almost like poetry. Animals seem to play a big role in her writings and in Lions, you will meet birds and wild ponies and hear Rachel talk of her love for Lions. The sense of atmosphere is so compelling and in my review of Homeless Bird I had said the Prose glows. Well, it does in Listening for Lions as well. She is such a beautiful writer.
And once again, the theme is independence. Rachel wants to be a doctor and heal people and she will not let much stand in her way. I so like that Whelan writes strong protagonists. Her young women are Free Spirited and unbound by Society's norms and expectations. That, along with her beautiful and descriptive prose, make Whelan's books so interesting to read.
The negatives have nothing to do with the book. I just wasn't quite in the mood to read about Influenza. Especially not with Covid 19 being so prevalent. I have already gone through some depression due to our present circumstances so I will tell people there is much focus on disease and for me, I had to skim much of that. I think had my mood been different I would have focused on those scenes more (maybe) but just was not in the mood.
As others mention , it does lose power toward the end. I fell in love with Grandfather with his twinkling eyes and fun bird loving nature bu I think the book could have ended at the point the evil neighbors scheme was discovered.
So..for fans of Historical Fiction I can't recommend this book enough. If you have never read Whelan, you might want to start with Homeless Bird which is just amazing but I plan to work my way through all her books. A strong four stars from me for Listening for Lions.
― Gloria Whelan, Listening for Lions
This is the second book I have read by Gloria Whelan. The first, Homeless Bird, was extraordinary. While Listening for Lions did not make it onto the list of my favorites, I still think it is a good read that many fans of Historical Fiction will enjoy.
The book is set in Africa, (at first). Rachel is a young girl and her parents run a hospital where they treat people with influenza. Tragically, Rachel's parents both wind up catching it and they do not survive, leaving Rachel on her own.
Rachel becomes enmeshed in a scheme by her evil neighbors who temporarily assume charge of her, through lies and deceit.
To tell you the truth, that is just the surface of the book. I do not want to say to much but what this book is really about is Rachel's journey as she comes into herself and develops her own identity encountering many obstacles along the way as well as much love found in the most surprising places. (Not romantic love..(this book has no romance in it).
What I liked best about this book is what I adored about Homeless Bird. The vivid descriptions of Africa were stunning, particularly the animal descriptions. Whelan's books, at times, read almost like poetry. Animals seem to play a big role in her writings and in Lions, you will meet birds and wild ponies and hear Rachel talk of her love for Lions. The sense of atmosphere is so compelling and in my review of Homeless Bird I had said the Prose glows. Well, it does in Listening for Lions as well. She is such a beautiful writer.
And once again, the theme is independence. Rachel wants to be a doctor and heal people and she will not let much stand in her way. I so like that Whelan writes strong protagonists. Her young women are Free Spirited and unbound by Society's norms and expectations. That, along with her beautiful and descriptive prose, make Whelan's books so interesting to read.
The negatives have nothing to do with the book. I just wasn't quite in the mood to read about Influenza. Especially not with Covid 19 being so prevalent. I have already gone through some depression due to our present circumstances so I will tell people there is much focus on disease and for me, I had to skim much of that. I think had my mood been different I would have focused on those scenes more (maybe) but just was not in the mood.
As others mention , it does lose power toward the end. I fell in love with Grandfather with his twinkling eyes and fun bird loving nature bu I think the book could have ended at the point the evil neighbors scheme was discovered.
So..for fans of Historical Fiction I can't recommend this book enough. If you have never read Whelan, you might want to start with Homeless Bird which is just amazing but I plan to work my way through all her books. A strong four stars from me for Listening for Lions.
May 18, 2020
So indeed, the first two sections of Gloria Whelan's Listening for Lions, I have definitely found them to be absolutely delightful (and yes, I also could both strongly and personally relate to Rachel Sheridan's sadness and her totally shutting down emotionally and appearing as rather coldly distant after the deaths of her parents due to influenza and absolutely do understand and appreciate that Rachel also feels that she could, when she first arrives in England, not really tell the Grandfather the truth regarding her true identity and that she had basically been forced and coerced by the Pritchards to impersonate their deceased daughter Valerie in order for them to no longer be disinherited, and especially with the spectre of prison or of an impersonal orphanage constantly even if erroneously looming), with both Rachel's voice and her depicted emotions feeling absolutely authentic and very much relatable, as well as Gloria Whellan's (in the guise of main protagonist Rachael) descriptions of both Tumaini and Skagsway (and in particular the featured and presented flora and fauna, and definitely the many birds) really bringing me major reading pleasure and joy.
However and the above having been said, the sections in Listening for Lions, where Rachel Sheridan (who is legally called Rachel Pritchard after being adopted by the Grandfather) attends school and then trains to become a doctor (so she can return to Africa and set up her deceased parents' hospital once again), albeit that the information presented is certainly interesting enough, in my humble opinion, Rachel relates her school and university experiences in such a monotonous tone of voice and in such an on the surface manner, that really, Rachel's schooling and medical training have felt (and in particular if compared to the richness of description in the first two chapters of Listening for Lions) rather majorly removed and distancing and not at all like I am reading a personal account but more like a rather mundane and cursory second-hand report, interesting and educational enough, to be sure, but emotionally stagnant and annoyingly frustrating.
And although once Rachel right at the end of Listening for Lions does as a trained physician in fact and indeed return to Africa, that when Rachel returns to Tumaini in order to once again build and reopen the hospital, the emotionality and richness of the beginning sections of Listening for Lions is in fact kind of recaptured to an extent, the to and for me rather lacking, strangely removed and distancing school and university sections, they have certainly felt just a bit out of place, they have rather felt like Gloria Whelan has inserted into Listening for Lions an account with a very much different and unnatural tone and scope. Therefore, my average rating for Listening for Lions will have to be a relatively low three stars, as it certainly has affected my reading pleasure for there to have been such a stylistic and even thematic ceasura between Rachel's arrival and sojourn at Skagsway and her school and university years.
However and the above having been said, the sections in Listening for Lions, where Rachel Sheridan (who is legally called Rachel Pritchard after being adopted by the Grandfather) attends school and then trains to become a doctor (so she can return to Africa and set up her deceased parents' hospital once again), albeit that the information presented is certainly interesting enough, in my humble opinion, Rachel relates her school and university experiences in such a monotonous tone of voice and in such an on the surface manner, that really, Rachel's schooling and medical training have felt (and in particular if compared to the richness of description in the first two chapters of Listening for Lions) rather majorly removed and distancing and not at all like I am reading a personal account but more like a rather mundane and cursory second-hand report, interesting and educational enough, to be sure, but emotionally stagnant and annoyingly frustrating.
And although once Rachel right at the end of Listening for Lions does as a trained physician in fact and indeed return to Africa, that when Rachel returns to Tumaini in order to once again build and reopen the hospital, the emotionality and richness of the beginning sections of Listening for Lions is in fact kind of recaptured to an extent, the to and for me rather lacking, strangely removed and distancing school and university sections, they have certainly felt just a bit out of place, they have rather felt like Gloria Whelan has inserted into Listening for Lions an account with a very much different and unnatural tone and scope. Therefore, my average rating for Listening for Lions will have to be a relatively low three stars, as it certainly has affected my reading pleasure for there to have been such a stylistic and even thematic ceasura between Rachel's arrival and sojourn at Skagsway and her school and university years.
January 18, 2022
I’m so glad a friend told me to read Listening for Lions. I finally read it, and I fell in love.
It’s everything I seek in a historical fiction book. The character development is excellent. I cared about the main characters so much–and the antagonists, as well as the protagonist and supporting characters, were so real, human, and vivid. I loved the relationships–both blood family and surrogate family. The setting was achingly beautiful, almost alive. The historical accuracy and attention to detail impressed me. The writing style was beautiful and skilled. The plot and premise were fascinating and steadily paced, drawing me in from the very start with unique twists and a touch of mystery.
I cared about the main character, Rachel, and her journey. I felt her emotions with her and read quickly to find out how her story would unfold. I admired Rachel’s strength and determination amid such grief and loss. She kept her kindness and compassion no matter what she went through. I especially felt her longing to return to the home and people she had lost, even if it could never be restored to what it was before. The book so skillfully explored and conveyed the feeling of being a wanderer and an exile, with no home and nowhere to belong.
The story perfectly captured the experience of missionary kids and third culture kids in real life, and of anyone who has been uprooted suddenly from a home or place that was important to them, with no opportunity to return. I have experienced it vicariously through hearing my mom’s stories and emotions of how it felt to be suddenly jerked away from the country where she grew up as the daughter of missionaries–and to never feel she had a place to belong, for the rest of her life. It touched me that the author of this book honored countless people who share that experience.
Listening for Lions brings to life the African landscape, and wildlife, along with the political and social situation and the life of missionaries running a hospital. I appreciated the love and value placed on the native African characters, and the fact that the main female protagonist considered them family.
This book deals with several interesting places and eras of history. It is a vivid portrayal of the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. I enjoyed the details of birds and ornithology, and I was deeply interested in the portrayal of women doctors in medical school a hundred years ago. The latter aspect of the book may bore some readers, but I loved it.
This book was written at the beginning of the 2000s, when good historical fiction books were still being published, ones that match the quality of classic historical novels of the 20th century. It was wonderful to find a good historical novel I hadn’t read before. I will certainly be reading more by Gloria Whelan.
I would consider Listening for Lions to be upper juvenile fiction, on the border with young adult. It is suitable for older children but mature enough for adults of any age.
I highly recommend Listening for Lions to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or stories of strong young women. It immediately became one of my favorite books and one of my top few favorites of this year. 4.5 stars.
It’s everything I seek in a historical fiction book. The character development is excellent. I cared about the main characters so much–and the antagonists, as well as the protagonist and supporting characters, were so real, human, and vivid. I loved the relationships–both blood family and surrogate family. The setting was achingly beautiful, almost alive. The historical accuracy and attention to detail impressed me. The writing style was beautiful and skilled. The plot and premise were fascinating and steadily paced, drawing me in from the very start with unique twists and a touch of mystery.
I cared about the main character, Rachel, and her journey. I felt her emotions with her and read quickly to find out how her story would unfold. I admired Rachel’s strength and determination amid such grief and loss. She kept her kindness and compassion no matter what she went through. I especially felt her longing to return to the home and people she had lost, even if it could never be restored to what it was before. The book so skillfully explored and conveyed the feeling of being a wanderer and an exile, with no home and nowhere to belong.
The story perfectly captured the experience of missionary kids and third culture kids in real life, and of anyone who has been uprooted suddenly from a home or place that was important to them, with no opportunity to return. I have experienced it vicariously through hearing my mom’s stories and emotions of how it felt to be suddenly jerked away from the country where she grew up as the daughter of missionaries–and to never feel she had a place to belong, for the rest of her life. It touched me that the author of this book honored countless people who share that experience.
Listening for Lions brings to life the African landscape, and wildlife, along with the political and social situation and the life of missionaries running a hospital. I appreciated the love and value placed on the native African characters, and the fact that the main female protagonist considered them family.
This book deals with several interesting places and eras of history. It is a vivid portrayal of the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. I enjoyed the details of birds and ornithology, and I was deeply interested in the portrayal of women doctors in medical school a hundred years ago. The latter aspect of the book may bore some readers, but I loved it.
This book was written at the beginning of the 2000s, when good historical fiction books were still being published, ones that match the quality of classic historical novels of the 20th century. It was wonderful to find a good historical novel I hadn’t read before. I will certainly be reading more by Gloria Whelan.
I would consider Listening for Lions to be upper juvenile fiction, on the border with young adult. It is suitable for older children but mature enough for adults of any age.
I highly recommend Listening for Lions to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or stories of strong young women. It immediately became one of my favorite books and one of my top few favorites of this year. 4.5 stars.
November 7, 2022
It's shortly after World War I, and Rachel and her parents are stationed in Kenya at a mission base out side of Nairobi. Her father is the doctor and her mother runs the mission school. When the influenza wreaks havoc in their little village, Rachel is not left untouched. She is suddenly left an orphan.
Rachel's wealthy neighbors take her in, giving her a warm bed to sleep in and lavish clothes to wear. But something seems amiss from the start of her stay; the odd glances, their double-meaning statements, their little probing questions. And then Rachel finds herself tangled up, and almost trapped, in a crafty scheme that has her traveling to England to visit an incredibly wealthy old man who is on his death bed.
I enjoyed this melancholy tale. It was very intriguing from the start; and you like Rachel and want to know what happens to her. I'd recommend this to tween/young adult readers looking for something unique to read.
Cleanliness: the main character impersonates someone else but then tells the truth. Mentions witch doctors.
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Rachel's wealthy neighbors take her in, giving her a warm bed to sleep in and lavish clothes to wear. But something seems amiss from the start of her stay; the odd glances, their double-meaning statements, their little probing questions. And then Rachel finds herself tangled up, and almost trapped, in a crafty scheme that has her traveling to England to visit an incredibly wealthy old man who is on his death bed.
I enjoyed this melancholy tale. It was very intriguing from the start; and you like Rachel and want to know what happens to her. I'd recommend this to tween/young adult readers looking for something unique to read.
Cleanliness: the main character impersonates someone else but then tells the truth. Mentions witch doctors.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
December 3, 2016
So engaging that I read it in one short evening. I know I've claimed to be burnt out on MG HF, but the setting, just after WWI, in Kenya and then a forested preserve in England, was fresh, so I decided to try this. So glad I did. Only just now am I realizing that the author also wrote Angel on the Square which I enjoyed.
I'm sure other reviewers of this deservedly well-received book can do a better job than I of telling you why you should add it to your to-read list. All I'll add here is that I now know the author's name and will look for more by her.
I'm sure other reviewers of this deservedly well-received book can do a better job than I of telling you why you should add it to your to-read list. All I'll add here is that I now know the author's name and will look for more by her.
November 14, 2008
Appealing heroine, marvelous evocation of place, interesting plot--until the end. The final chapters are so rushed that the story feels disappointingly truncated, as if the author ran out of time or had some artificial length limitation (it's already a rather thin book!).
December 26, 2021
One of my most favourite books ever. This story reminds me about fulfilling dreams and how special home is. There is sadness but also joy in this book, and every time I read it it fuels my desire to hear the lions myself one day. :) To me it’s a treasure among books.
June 15, 2021
This book was amazing. There was something about it that made it really compelling. I liked how women's rights were incorporated throughout this book. I strongly suggest reading this. You will understand how I feel after reading!
March 17, 2016
This has to be one of the best books I've ever read! It is filled with adventure, excitement, suspense, and surprises. I can't recommended this book enough! Just... go read it. Now. ;)
January 15, 2022
Beautiful writing & imagery. Touching coming-of-age story.
August 29, 2022
In the style of Frances Hodges Burnett, this story was encouraging, thoughtful, and heart-warming
June 27, 2017
Nice, sweet story of orphan Rachel Sheridan as she ventures into the world (without her wanting it) alone and surrounded by people who use her for their own benefit. It's a clean story, with occassional references to surgeries and blood and pains and suffering, though rather scarce. I liked the first two parts of the story, being more compact and detailed, whereas the third part is rushed and lots of things happen within the space of a few paragraphs. I wish the story ended after the two thirds of the book but the ending was satisfying, the author letting us know how each of the characters has fared. The lion is used as a laitmotif, so do not expect lions everywhere. Lions mean courage, perseverance, patience, endurance, so the mention of lions is, for Rachel, a constant reminder of all those virtues that she needs to get hold of in order to survive in the world. And it also reminds her of Africa and the life she had there.
Thus, a good story of courage, hope and perseverance. All in all, it was nice reading it! I also love the cover artwork...it was for its sake that I began reading the book:D
Thus, a good story of courage, hope and perseverance. All in all, it was nice reading it! I also love the cover artwork...it was for its sake that I began reading the book:D
November 25, 2019
I read this quite a few times around the time I was in middle school, and I remember really enjoying it. But it has been SO long since I read this that I had COMPLETELY forgotten the plot! It's not often you get the pleasure of reading a book for the first time a second time. ;)
It wasn't as complex or magical as I remember, but this was still a beautiful story. The author is talented at painting vivid pictures without a lot of extra fluff words. I enjoyed the plot and the characters and most of all the setting. Africa and England? You found some of my favorite places to read about.
And I enjoyed the redemption in the end after all the MC lost. She was "lucky" but she also worked really hard and was able to do something beautiful that awakens my childhood dreams of adventure and mission work and living overseas.
It wasn't as complex or magical as I remember, but this was still a beautiful story. The author is talented at painting vivid pictures without a lot of extra fluff words. I enjoyed the plot and the characters and most of all the setting. Africa and England? You found some of my favorite places to read about.
And I enjoyed the redemption in the end after all the MC lost. She was "lucky" but she also worked really hard and was able to do something beautiful that awakens my childhood dreams of adventure and mission work and living overseas.
March 29, 2021
Rachel Sheridan’s missionary parents succumb to the Spanish influenza pandemic in early 20th century East Africa. She’s taken in by neighbors with less-than-charitable motives and finds herself far from the only home she’s ever known in chilly, damp England. But Rachel’s honesty, courage and pluck will see her far, and she vows that she will return to Africa and rebuild the mission hospital her parents founded.
This is a lovely YA / middle-school-grade novel with some important lessons about doing what is right, and honoring your parents and elders. Rachel is a worthy heroine; she’s intelligent, principled, compassionate and a hard worker. I love the way that she interacts with others and considers the possible effects of her words and actions before moving forward. She shows courage when it’s most important, and a fierce determination to honor her promises.
This is a lovely YA / middle-school-grade novel with some important lessons about doing what is right, and honoring your parents and elders. Rachel is a worthy heroine; she’s intelligent, principled, compassionate and a hard worker. I love the way that she interacts with others and considers the possible effects of her words and actions before moving forward. She shows courage when it’s most important, and a fierce determination to honor her promises.
February 29, 2012
Whelan's compact, careful writing style shines in this story of a young girl growing up in Africa at a mission hospital, and what happens to her when the 'flu hits in 1919. The spare text, though descriptive, leaves lots of room to imagine yourself into the story, and I was hooked for the whole time I read the book. Great middle-grades read.
January 6, 2025
3.5 stars
Even at only 200 pages, this story seemed to drag a bit, especially at the beginning. The writing style wasn't anything special and was difficult to connect to. Also, the book was a bit repetitive about the Pritchards' greed. I liked the bond between The table of contents basically gives away the main story 🤦 (not that it's hard to guess though)
Even at only 200 pages, this story seemed to drag a bit, especially at the beginning. The writing style wasn't anything special and was difficult to connect to. Also, the book was a bit repetitive about the Pritchards' greed. I liked the bond between The table of contents basically gives away the main story 🤦 (not that it's hard to guess though)
February 15, 2025
I absolutely adored the Gloria Whelan books that I read throughout elementary and middle school (especially her Russia series). I was hopeful that her writing didn't lose its luster for me when I dove into another one of her books as a young adult.
Good news - it didn't!!
Miss Whelan has such a gift with words. She knows how to write beautiful and meaningful stories. Her characters come alive on the page.
Listening for Lions is a beautiful story set in Africa and London about a young girl named Rachel. Her parents are a doctor and teacher sent to be missionaries.
Rachel's pure joy in all things Africa was beautiful to witness. I felt her highs, and I felt her lows. Every other character was so well developed, and I loved seeing Rachel's relationship with each of them.
This story is one that I would recommend to everyone, young and old. Miss Whelan, thank you for this beautiful piece of art.
Note: If you get confused with the Swahili words, check the back of the book. My edition had a short glossary. :)
Good news - it didn't!!
Miss Whelan has such a gift with words. She knows how to write beautiful and meaningful stories. Her characters come alive on the page.
Listening for Lions is a beautiful story set in Africa and London about a young girl named Rachel. Her parents are a doctor and teacher sent to be missionaries.
Rachel's pure joy in all things Africa was beautiful to witness. I felt her highs, and I felt her lows. Every other character was so well developed, and I loved seeing Rachel's relationship with each of them.
This story is one that I would recommend to everyone, young and old. Miss Whelan, thank you for this beautiful piece of art.
Note: If you get confused with the Swahili words, check the back of the book. My edition had a short glossary. :)
September 17, 2017
A great story - wonderfully well written. Makes me want to visit rural Kenya again!
February 4, 2022
I liked this so much! True, this does have lying and deceit, but it is so good. The young girl deals with loss, hate, and love. She has things happen to her that could happen in real life.
August 27, 2008
Rachel loves her life in Africa, where her father runs a missionary hospital and her mother runs a local school. Unlike other British citizens in East Africa, particularly Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard and their daughter Valerie, her family lives simply with the Kikuyu and the Masai tribes, respecting their traditions, holding church services and training them to work in the hospital.
Her peaceful life is shattered when both her parents, as well as Valerie Pritchard, die from an outbreak of influenza, forcing her to move in with the Pritchards. Rachel assumes that the mission will send for her, and she will be sent to an orphanage in England. The Pritchards have other ideas though. Noticing Rachel and Valerie’s similarity in age and hair color, they decide that Rachel shall pose as Valerie and return to England. Once there, she is to recapture the good graces (and money) of Valerie’s ailing grandfather, allowing the Pritchard’s to return from Africa to England.
Mrs. Pritchard pulled her chair closer to me and began to speak in what she must have thought was a kindly tone, but which sounded false in my ears. “Rachel, my dear, you have it in your power to do a great kindness to an elderly gentleman. More than a great kindness. It would not be an exaggeration to say you could save an old man’s life.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I think it would be wrong.”
“Nonsense,” Mrs. Pritchard said. “It is your Christian duty. If you could save the poor man and you chose not to, it would be as bad as murder.”
Rachel knows that it would be wrong to deceive the elderly man, but she seeing no other option, agrees to go to England. Will she be discovered as an imposter right away? Or will she trick grandfather and give the Pritchards exactly what they want?
From the exotic locale of Africa, to the harsh winters of England, Listening for Lions follows a young girl’s journey into adulthood as she struggles to regain control of her life and do what she knows is right.
Despite being a little slow, and having a girl as the main character, this was a book that even the fifth grade boys in my book club really enjoyed.
Her peaceful life is shattered when both her parents, as well as Valerie Pritchard, die from an outbreak of influenza, forcing her to move in with the Pritchards. Rachel assumes that the mission will send for her, and she will be sent to an orphanage in England. The Pritchards have other ideas though. Noticing Rachel and Valerie’s similarity in age and hair color, they decide that Rachel shall pose as Valerie and return to England. Once there, she is to recapture the good graces (and money) of Valerie’s ailing grandfather, allowing the Pritchard’s to return from Africa to England.
Mrs. Pritchard pulled her chair closer to me and began to speak in what she must have thought was a kindly tone, but which sounded false in my ears. “Rachel, my dear, you have it in your power to do a great kindness to an elderly gentleman. More than a great kindness. It would not be an exaggeration to say you could save an old man’s life.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I think it would be wrong.”
“Nonsense,” Mrs. Pritchard said. “It is your Christian duty. If you could save the poor man and you chose not to, it would be as bad as murder.”
Rachel knows that it would be wrong to deceive the elderly man, but she seeing no other option, agrees to go to England. Will she be discovered as an imposter right away? Or will she trick grandfather and give the Pritchards exactly what they want?
From the exotic locale of Africa, to the harsh winters of England, Listening for Lions follows a young girl’s journey into adulthood as she struggles to regain control of her life and do what she knows is right.
Despite being a little slow, and having a girl as the main character, this was a book that even the fifth grade boys in my book club really enjoyed.
June 20, 2018
Read this review with pictures of the book here:
https://readersforlife.blog/2018/06/2...
It is 1918 and Rachel lives in a mission hospital in Kenya. Her parents are hardworking, sacrificial English missionaries, dedicated to helping the sick and illiterate. Rachel has never known any other life and she loves Africa. She loves the mission where she helps and loves the tribal people, the terrain, and most of all, she loves going to sleep with the lions roaring in the distance.
One day her world collapses and she must become like the very lions she loves - strong while patiently gathering their strength for the right time to act. Rachel is transported to a new world she has never known - England. There she is caught in a deceitful plot to influence a dying man’s will.
This story is about courage, patience, loyalty and overcoming evil with love. It is a moving tale which keeps you turning pages till the end. We read the story out loud and my girls were always asking for the next chapter.
While I loved the plot, I was especially taken by descriptions of wildlife and their environment in Kenya and England. The heroine loves being outdoors and wherever she finds herself in the world, she grows to love the creation around her. Rachel also loves reading, so there are many references to classical literature in this story.
One reviewer of this book stated that Rachel saw a career as more important that marriage. From my reading, I saw a young woman with a love for her homeland and her parent’s legacy. She turned down marriage, not because she didn’t want to be married, but rather the person who asked her was not suitable.
I recommend this book for 10-12+ Some of the plot subtleties will be lost on a younger audience. This issue is softcover and 208 pages long.
ISBN: 9780060581763
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc, USA, 2006
https://readersforlife.blog/2018/06/2...
It is 1918 and Rachel lives in a mission hospital in Kenya. Her parents are hardworking, sacrificial English missionaries, dedicated to helping the sick and illiterate. Rachel has never known any other life and she loves Africa. She loves the mission where she helps and loves the tribal people, the terrain, and most of all, she loves going to sleep with the lions roaring in the distance.
One day her world collapses and she must become like the very lions she loves - strong while patiently gathering their strength for the right time to act. Rachel is transported to a new world she has never known - England. There she is caught in a deceitful plot to influence a dying man’s will.
This story is about courage, patience, loyalty and overcoming evil with love. It is a moving tale which keeps you turning pages till the end. We read the story out loud and my girls were always asking for the next chapter.
While I loved the plot, I was especially taken by descriptions of wildlife and their environment in Kenya and England. The heroine loves being outdoors and wherever she finds herself in the world, she grows to love the creation around her. Rachel also loves reading, so there are many references to classical literature in this story.
One reviewer of this book stated that Rachel saw a career as more important that marriage. From my reading, I saw a young woman with a love for her homeland and her parent’s legacy. She turned down marriage, not because she didn’t want to be married, but rather the person who asked her was not suitable.
I recommend this book for 10-12+ Some of the plot subtleties will be lost on a younger audience. This issue is softcover and 208 pages long.
ISBN: 9780060581763
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc, USA, 2006
June 14, 2016
Because I am notorious for adding half stars...I might even even rank this a 4.5 stars. The writing for the first 2/3 of this book is beautiful. Beautiful. The pain, the detail, the imagery. Delicious. I loved the tension of the conflict and how it all plays out. The recommended age for this book is 10 years old or more and I think that is a good recommendation just in dealing with certain issues may cause anxiety in younger readers. But if you have a more mature reader then this may be fine. It's worth the wait for the full enjoyment of the book. The last 1/3 of the book (when most of the tension is resolved) is not as laden with beautiful language. However, that may be on purpose as we see Rachel in the doldrums of life (sometimes doing things that are hard and not always exciting) to get to the end goal or result. Hard work and work ethic are seen here. The book also displays aspects of forgiveness and what happens when forgiveness is not sought and bitterness takes hold like a terrible cancer.
August 8, 2013
3.5 stars... Books like this make me yearn to travel to Africa. It is so different than the life I lead...harder yet simpler. I hope that I would feel as Rachel does and not as Valerie does.
Rachel's father and mother die. The greedy and selfish Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard take her in...and then concoct a plan where she will pretend to be their daughter who has just died and she will go to live with "her" grandfather to try to convince him to give Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard a greater inheritance. She feels trapped into going along with the plan, but soon develops a sincere and wonderful relationship with "her" grandfather who is nothing like his son and his son's wife.
I love the relationship between Rachel and her grandfather...and really find her both believable and very likable and admirable. Sometimes it feels like things work out just a tiny bit too easily. But it is a lovely book.
Rachel's father and mother die. The greedy and selfish Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard take her in...and then concoct a plan where she will pretend to be their daughter who has just died and she will go to live with "her" grandfather to try to convince him to give Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard a greater inheritance. She feels trapped into going along with the plan, but soon develops a sincere and wonderful relationship with "her" grandfather who is nothing like his son and his son's wife.
I love the relationship between Rachel and her grandfather...and really find her both believable and very likable and admirable. Sometimes it feels like things work out just a tiny bit too easily. But it is a lovely book.
June 30, 2016
I read this book for a book club I'm participating in, and I was impressed, considering it was a middle-grade book. The language was concise and narrated, but very poignant and thought-provoking. The theme of a young, innocent girl being thrust into some very difficult, adult situations did not mean the story was always predictable. Rachel's love for Africa and her dormant passion to do the right thing was admirable even when it led her into some sticky situations. The tale was touching and even heart-warming toward the end, despite the awful things that were always going on. I kept a reading journal on this book and found plenty to journal about. I would recommend this for any person 12+ looking for a strong character and original, captivating story.
March 18, 2008
I picked this up at the library - it's a nominee for the national book award. I loved the setting and the stories of Africa -- I loved how the author showed women can be strong, even at a young age. Really it was about loss and tragedy. It has really good lessons about service and greed, but I don't think it was preachy about them. I like all the references to Dickens -- because it was kind of Dickens in its own way.
October 20, 2012
This is a delightful tale of Rachel whose parents are missionaries in East Africa. When at outbreak of influenza occurs, both parents did, leaving Rachel an orphan. Shipped to England, she longs for the return to Africa.
Rachel is spirited and spunky. While there is nothing in depth about this tale, I enjoyed the simplicity and story line.
Rachel is spirited and spunky. While there is nothing in depth about this tale, I enjoyed the simplicity and story line.
March 6, 2017
I loved this book. It made for a great discussion in our homeschool bookclub because there were some real muddy moral dilemmas that made for great conversation. I think my kids lost a bit of interest in the last few chapters as the protagonist grew into an adult. But for me, it was an engaging story.
September 2, 2007
An orphan in Victorian Africa is determined to become a woman doctor and keep her parents' hospital alive despite the evil machinations of her guardians.
November 28, 2014
Probably more like 4.5 stars. This book was actually really, really good. I loved it. (I stayed up extremely late just so I could finish it)
Definitely a good book to add to your to-read list
Definitely a good book to add to your to-read list
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