The Elephant Keeper
This is a somewhat strange story, set in the mid 1700s, of two young elephants and the boy (Tom) who saves their lives and becomes their keeper. The first part of this book was fascinating. Since it is set in the 18th century, nothing whatever is known of elephants, and as Tom begins to learn about his elephants and write about them, he gives a detailed analysis of what elephants are, how they feel (physically), how they react ... things that in the 21st century we think we know, but it's nice to have it all written out. Tom gives the elephants names -- Timothy (named for Tom's father), and Jenny, though nobody else knows their names. When Timothy starts to age and goes into his first musth and becomes volatile, Tom has to keep him tied to a tree until he returns to normal. Because of his musth periods, which nobody understands, Timothy is ultimately sold to someone else, and Tom and Jenny become best friends. As the book progresses, their "conversations" become