Elephant in the Dark

by Carol Carrick

Through training an elephant, the first ever seen in 1830s Massachusetts, Orphan Will begins to feel important for the first time in his life

Paperback

First published October 1, 1988

Reviews

[Brenda Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book on my grown daughter's bookshelf this holiday and decided to read it. My husband who read to her almost every night of her life until she left for college said it wasn't one of the books he read to her so I was curious about it. The writing is straight forward, unsentimental and unembellished. It reminded me a little of Where the Red Fern Grows (one of my favorite books). Maybe because it was set in roughly the same era and in a rural community. The main character, Will, has a mother who has an unspecified illness, but easily identified by the reader as TB. They have no money and no relatives. It would have been just an ordinary story if the elephant hadn't entered the scene which then creates a less predictable plot line. Definitely a good read aloud.

[Purplelitsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it when I was a child, which might be why I love it so much.

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is definitely one book that you shouldn't judge by its title or cover, which was my mistake.

The majority of the story revolved around the boy and how he was ashamed of himself and his mother for he was the favorite of the town bullies. From there it went on to point out that he was always losing everything such as his mother who died.

From there he ended up meeting the first elephant (based off an actual event of the first elephant in the United States but completely fictional). To not ruin the rest of the story he ends up losing out again and in the last third of the book chooses to stop actually being a loser of the things he loves.

My main disappointment with the book it could have been a great story along the lines of "Secondhand Lions" but it wasn't. And the ending definitely could have used more work in my opinion.

[Miss Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

early 1800s, New England. Will and his mother have always been looked down upon by the rest of the town folk for being different. When a traveling showman comes to town with the elephant Toong Talong, things begin to change. Toong Talong likes Will and he is allowed to help care for her while she stays in town for the winter. Now, the boys in town want to talk to Will and hear all about the elephant. Will wonder what he will do in the spring when Toong must leave...


Good story for animal lovers since the story has a happy ending for the elephant and Will is allowed to stay with her.

**Will's mother dies