Book of the Month

Home for Wayward Elephants

by y James Rada, Jr.- published in 2004 – a a coming-of-age novel

by Michele Tester

This month’s book pick is a novel written by The Catoctin Banner’s very own James Rada, Jr., an Amazon.com bestselling author who writes nonfiction history and historical fiction, as well as fantasy, horror, and young adult fiction under the pen name J. R. Rada.

The chosen book for this month is Home for Wayward Elephants, a coming-of-age novel about a young girl, named Jessie, who is orphaned at the age of thirteen, following a house fire that kills her whole family. Jessie blames herself, even though the fire was a tragic accident. She feels alone and lost, struggling to make sense of a world that makes no sense anymore.

The book is set during the Great Depression and follows Jessie as she is sent to a farm orphanage after the fire to live in a house with other orphans, under the care of Miss Erin and Mr. Frank. While trying to find her place in her new home and struggling with the loss and heartache of losing her family, Jessie encounters something that will change her life in ways she never would have imagined: a baby elephant in the fields. She notices the elephant calf has a chain around its leg, Jessie presuming it had escaped from somewhere.

Jessie forms an instant bond and feels a deep connection with the calf. She dedicates herself to taking care of the elephant—trying to keep it hidden in the fields—for several days until the calf is eventually returned to the circus from where it escaped. Jessie is heartbroken. She wanted to save the calf, something she felt she should have done with her family but was unable to do.

When Jessie turns 16, she leaves the orphanage and joins the Conroy & Pepperidge Circus. She is hired to take care of the animals, which was rare for a female to do at that time. While at the circus, she is reunited with the elephant calf she had once tried to help back at the orphanage. Myrna is now fully grown, but she instantly remembers Jessie. Myrna becomes very protective of Jessie. After being noticed for how Jessie interacts and connects with the elephants, especially Myrna, and how much they trust her, she is offered the chance to become an elephant trainer.

Over the next several years, the bond between Jessie and Myrna continues to grow and strengthen. Jessie meets a young circus clown, Bradley Starr, who becomes her friend and confidant. Bradley is dealing with his own struggles, and the two form a special attachment. But when tragedy hits the circus, Jessie is forced to change course again and navigate her future, as she also desperately seeks to save the elephant that she couldn’t save when she was younger.

I was drawn in after the very first page, and Jessie’s journey and growth touched on the very human need that we all desire: to belong and to be accepted. Jessie’s story is one of love, loss, loyalty, courage, trust, devotion, resilience, and determination. The characters are relatable and authentic and will capture you from the very beginning.

This book is a heartwarming story about a girl and an elephant and how the elephant saves the girl in every way a person can be saved.