First published 2014
Billy Williams arrives in colonial Burma in 1920 as a forest worker for a British teak operation. The intelligence and character of the logging elephants captivate him. He learns to treat their injuries and advocates for better conditions, creating an elephant school and hospital. One tusker named Bandoola becomes his closest companion. The elephants teach Williams courage and trust. When Japanese forces invade Burma in 1942, Williams joins Force 136, Britain's covert operations unit. His elephants haul supplies, construct bridges, and carry refugees across dangerous mountain passes. Williams smuggles more elephants from Japanese territory as enemy forces hunt him. Cornered by advancing troops, Williams attempts a desperate mountain crossing into India with his elephants and a group of refugees. His wartime service earns him military honors and recognition from Field Marshal William Slim.
Genres: animals, historical-fiction, 20th-century, war, military-fiction, adventure
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Burma, India
Period: 1920, 1942
368 pages · Hardcover · Random House
Content warnings: war