Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan
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Book Reviews of Listening for Lions
Book Review: A must read for all 4-6th grade girls and even boys!
Summary: 5 Stars
I absolutely loved this book. It was elegantly written, with just the perfect amount of detail for this age group. I hope every mother and daughter have a chance to read this book aloud together, and discuss Rachel's life. It is such a warm, "girl power" book, you can't help but be inspried by Rachel's determination and love for her home in Africa.Book Review: Great Book
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this book for my 9 year old daughter and she hasn't had a chance to read it because both my mother in-law and I have read it first. It is a great story about a girl that has been throught great loss and managed to over come and give back.Book Review: THIS ROLE MODEL IS NO TAME LION . . .
Summary: 4 Stars
. . . and young readers will be eager to discover how a 13 year old was influenced by lions four generations ago. Rachel grew up in British East Africa (today's Kenya), daughter of missionaries. Her father made the bricks that formed his hospital, an under-funded mission where he also 'filled the pulpit' on Sundays. Her mother taught the Masai and Kikuyu natives, and they all learned from each other.
The Africa in which Rachel Sheridan was born was filled with light and the wild beauty of the grasslands. The lessons of life she absorbed were starkly different from those learned today.
During the post WW I year of 1919, the scourge of influenza still circled the Earth, and millions of people became victims. Rachel was orphaned, and became the prey of a British couple whose daughter had died. They swiftly schemed to turn Rachel into Valerie Pritchard who could then be sent back to England to work her way into the grandfather's good graces. Mr. & Mrs. P. lost no time in making that happen, leaving Rachel no time to grieve. Rachel, now Valerie, leaves behind the only home she has known and the faithful, sensitive family servant, Kanoro. She will remember the lessons of the lions: gathering strength for the time it will be needed, patience and perseverance.
Author Gloria Whelan paints landscapes to entice young readers: the exotic animals of East Africa, the abundant flora and birds there & in England. Whalen draws from Gilbert White's Natural History of Selborne, the 1789 classic revered by all nature lovers, and from a contemporary source about birds of Kenya. The birds have their own colorful place in this story so greatly enriched by the author's research.
This is no tame story. It is sort of a "Sara Crewe" look-alike, but shows Rachel-Valerie in widely diverse situations. Growing into adulthood she answers the challenge of Kanoro to return to the "brightness" of Africa. This is an old-fashioned story with its components of exotic settings, secrets, and a rich grandparent. But it isn't tame; courage is demonstrated in different ways, and values emerge as positive elements of the tale. Don't miss Paula Jolin's review (teenreads) for an important perspective on changes from colonialism to now, and her warm appreciation of the elderly Pritchard's relationship with 'his granddaughter' as it is developed by the author.
Gloria Whalen must also be saluted as someone who champions women's rights and the reading of good literature. Reviewer mcHaiku feels those moments contribute a memorable "brightness" to "Listening for Lions." Wouldn't this be a cool novel to read aloud to 4th and/or 5th graders?
Book Review: More is more? More or less...
Summary: 4 Stars
A missionary's young daughter serves in Africa with her parents. An influenza outbreak leaves her orphaned and in the treacherous hands of ill-intentioned neighbors. They offer her a way out of sure placement in an orphanage, but it requires her to become an imposter. How will she be true to herself and the values of her parents without risking harm to those she loves most? And how will she find her way back to Africa?
Whelan has afforded the reader every detail necessary to richly experience each scene. Whether it be in the disease ridden community of Africa, to a brief stop in Alexandria, or the lush, bird-filled gardens of England, every sensory nuance is fully described with thorough enthusiasm and metaphorical abundance. In fact, a little too much info! She certainly cannot be accused of insufficient research leading to a lack of authenticity!
The initial chapters start a little predictably, but don't lose heart. I had not read any spoiler reviews and was thoroughly engaged in the surprise conflict with anticipation for the resolve. The middle of the book definitely reached the "can't put it down" stage. A wonderfully logical ending presents itself, but Whelan plods along far past that point before ending it in a satisfying conclusion.
It's among the best books I've read - with a deduction for literary overkill. This author is definitely a "more is more" thinker. In my opinion, less would have sufficed.
Book Review: Hoopoes, leopards and lions
Summary: 4 Stars
What an engaging orphan-Cinderlla story told by Whelan's orphan, Rachel Sheridan. Like Heidi, she is orphaned and taken away from her home in Africa, yet enchants an old man and enlarges his life. I, too, have lived in Africa and found the descriptions of the veld, hoopoes, and acacia trees refreshing and real. I don't know if students unfamiliar with Africa would take to the story, but a picture glossary could educate those who haven't had the privilege. The story's villains are painted stereotypically, but the twists and turns in the plot are satisfying, and Rachel's perserverance shines at the conclusion. I would like for students who aren't ready for Barbara Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible to read this for a picture of African colonization at its best and worst. Like Whelan's book, Homeless Bird, this book informs the reader of a remote and exotic part of the world, so necessary as our world grows smaller.