When the Elephants Dance by Tess Uriza Holthe

When the Elephants Dance is set in the waning days of World War II, as the Japanese and the Americans engage in a fierce battle for possession of the Philippine Islands. Once in a great while comes a storyteller who can illuminate worlds large and small, in ways both magical and true to life. And our Philippine Islands? We are the small chickens.” (Jan.)įorecast: A promotional blitz-an eight-city author tour, targeted marketing to Asian organizations, and radio and print advertising campaigns-should alert readers who appreciate simple, moving storytelling to this powerful debut.“Papa explains the war like this: ‘When the elephants dance, the chickens must be careful.’ The great beasts, as they circle one another, shaking the trees and trumpeting loudly, are the Amerikanos and the Japanese as they fight. Rather, Holthe presents personal, pointed fragments that clearly demonstrate history's cultural and personal fallout. Primarily narrated by Alejandro his older, headstrong sister, Isabelle and Domingo, a guerrilla commander living a double life-one with his family in the cellar, the other with his true love and adopted son in his rebel army-this beautiful, harsh war story is no epic. Grounded in Philippine myth and culture, the novel is filled with beautiful, allegorical stories told by the story's elders, who try to share wisdom and inspire their captive audience in the midst of gruesome violence. In simple, strong language, Holthe conveys the terrifying experience of darting bullets and machetes above ground and the equally horrendous experience of waiting for loved ones to return.

Because food and water are scarce, some of the refugees must leave the shelter to forage for sustenance. Set in Manila during the final week of the Japanese-American battle for control of the islands, the novel centers on a small, mismatched group of families and neighbors who huddle in a cellar while Japanese occupiers terrorize and pillage above.

And our Philippine Islands? We are the small chickens.' Inspired by her father, who grew up in the Philippines under the Japanese occupation during WWII, first-time novelist Holthe writes about the experience from a variety of civilian perspectives. ' 'When the elephants dance, the chickens must be careful.' The great beasts, as they circle one another, shaking the trees and trumpeting loudly, are the Amerikanos and the Japanese as they fight. 'Papa explains the war like this,' narrates 13-year-old Alejandro as he heads through a series of Japanese barricades and check points.

When the Elephants Dance by Tess Uriza Holthe