Book #27

I just finished reading aloud "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo.  He is the author of "War Horse" and "Farm Boy"--2 books we read last year and enjoyed.  (On a side note--when I'm typing the title of a book, do I underline, use quotes, or italicize?) 

This book takes place in Germany during WWII.  A family adopts an elephant from the zoo where the mom works, bringing it home in the evenings.  One night, while on a walk, their city (Dresden) gets attacked by bombers and they have to escape.  They start walking and take the elephant with them.  Most of the story is about what happens on their long walk from Dresden to where the American troops were. 

Reading the book in the space of a week gave the false impression that their journey was short--only a few days.  But, the reality is that it took them several weeks of walking through snow and rain and always struggling to find food and shelter.  One of the refugees complained a lot.  But on a more positive day she says "If Peter (the navigator they found) was our guide, and Mutti (the mother) was our strength, then Marlene (the elephant) was our inspiration."  She recognized the strengths of her traveling companions.  The comment about the mom resonated with me.  I've been focusing on changing negative thoughts to positive thoughts and I realize how easy it is for me to get sucked into other people's negative thoughts and words.  The mother always said the same thing to the daughter who complained: "Just put one foot in front of the other and we'll get there."  She always tried to be positive.  I appreciated her example.  It's easy to be positive when things are going well, but hard when in the middle of a trial.