The Elephant of Belfast

A Novel

By: S. Kirk Walsh

Narrated by: Charlotte McCurry

Inspired by true events, this vivid and moving story of a young woman zookeeper and the elephant she’s compelled to protect through the German blitz of Belfast during WWll speaks to not only the tragedy of the times, but also to the ongoing sectarian tensions that still exist in Northern Ireland today - perfect for listeners of historical and literary fiction alike.

Belfast, October 1940. Twenty-year-old zookeeper Hettie Quin arrives at the city docks in time to meet her new charge: an orphaned three-year-old Indian elephant named Violet. As Violet adjusts to her new solitary life in captivity and Hettie mourns the recent loss of her sister and the abandonment of her father, new storm clouds gather. A world war rages, threatening a city already reeling from escalating tensions between British Loyalists and those fighting for a free and unified Ireland.

The relative peace is shattered by air-raid sirens on the evening of Easter Tuesday 1941. Over the course of the next five hours, hundreds of bombs rain down upon Belfast, claiming almost a thousand lives and decimating the city. Dodging the debris and carnage of the Luftwaffe attack, Hettie runs to the zoo to make sure that Violet is unharmed. The harrowing ordeal and ensuing aftermath set the pair on a surprising path that highlights the indelible, singular bond that often brings mankind and animals together during horrifying times.

Inspired by a largely forgotten chapter of World War II, S. Kirk Walsh deftly renders the changing relationship between Hettie and Violet, and their growing dependence on each other for survival and solace. The Elephant of Belfast is a complicated and beguiling portrait of hope and resilience - and how love can sustain us during the darkest moments of our lives.

©2021 S. Kirk Walsh (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

Interesting Story, Bad Reader Ruined It

I liked this story, which contained many little known facts related to the Irish Troubles. Because of this, I hung in and listened to the end, but at times I thought I would scream listening to the reader’s sing-song inexpressive rendering. I don’t mean the Irish lilt, which I love hearing. Who chose this reader? Why?

A little confusing...

I enjoyed the story right up until the abrupt ending. I am not sure what I expected but I didn’t expect things not to be neatly tied up in some manner. The story ended so abruptly that as I was listening on my daily work commute I thought I must have accidentally hit a button on the steering wheel causing the book to jump to the end “we hope you enjoyed this...”. “What the heck?” I asked myself, and tried flipping back a few chapters only to learn that really was the end. The book was well written, but left me hanging. The one good thing that came out of the book was the realization my mother-in-law, who grew up in Belfast, lived there during 1941. None of her kids had any idea. When I asked her she said “oh yeah” and told about how the bombs whistled all the way down, that they didn’t go to the shelters and how when they looked outside after one of the air raids the opposite side of her street was destroyed. So, the book gave me a lot of knowledge no one in our family ever knew about. I just wish it could have ended skipping ahead to the end of the war and resolution of what happened to the characters.

WWI Belfast

A charming story. Interesting dynamics. I loved the parade and the love for the element.
Interesting comparing zoo jobs of there and then with now.

Authentic characters for the era...

A well written and engaging story, I found some descriptive passages to be a bit overdone, while others truly captured a novel perspective on the surroundings. The central character seemed a bit naive for her age, which might be believable for the day, but which was at odds with her perspective and behavior in situations where I would have expected that from a girl of her age and sheltered upbringing. Still, she was otherwise believable, so - a quirk rather than a really bothersome inconsistency in this coming of age story in the midst of war. Oddly, I did not find myself as invested in the main character as the author probably intended - rather I found acts of heroism in other characters - but this was an interesting read - once.

What an unusual story!

An elephant in Northern Ireland is an unusual idea to start with, then add WWII and Catholic-Protestant divides with a nasty bit of IRA thrown in…you get some memorable bits like the elephant and the nuns at the beac h!
Read in a lovely Irish accent and young girl voice. Perfect for the story. ( I couldn’t get the stars to come on as I wished for performance)

Couldn’t get into it.

I tried multiple times but I couldn’t get into it.
The book seemed like a good idea but in the end I couldn’t listen

A book for juvenile readers

I mistakenly purchased this thinking it was a book for adults. After listening for most of an hour I had had enough. It’s a fiction story told through the experience of a 13-year-old and the narrator whispers her way through the story sounding like she’s reading a child’s bedtime story. I paid for this six months ago so maybe that’s beyond the statute of refund limitations and that’s why Audible is not allowing me to return it. If you’re interested in the story spend your money on the book instead.

Not a Fan

I didn’t like the voice of the narrator. This book was not for me at all.

The elephant of Belfast 😡😡😡

I disliked this book. Boring. Even it is a “true” story the killing of beautiful animals caged in a zoo, was more than I could take. I can’t imagine anyone liking this book. The only reason I read it is because my book club is reviewing it. 😂🥵

Terrible writing, especially with regard to character development

I wanted to like this book so badly. Historical fiction with a strong female lead, and the story centers around an elephant? That's what I was expecting. However, the author wrote the main character as a boy crazy knob who can't make a single decision for herself; she sits around waiting for the various garbage men she crushes on to come save her or tell her what to do. She even decides a man who sexually assaulted her TWICE is a very good man. She drones on and on and on with these mind numbing monologues centered around which boy she likes. The other characters are just random and chaotic, and the elephant is barely there until the last two chapters. She is also sprinkles in extremely weird and nauseating sex scenes that don't seem to serve any purpose other than "maybe this will sell more books to people who like steamy sexy scenes..." except, they're not steamy, they're cringey. The only good things I can say about this book is it made me more interested in Irish history and the narrator was pleasant to listen to.