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 more and more complex and you forget that Jenny isn't really speaking!

The middle of the book deals with violence, bullying, and rape.  While Tom keeps hoping they can get Timothy back, the man who owns the elephants has a bad accident that leaves him pretty much unable to cope and his son, a very mean man, takes over.  Ultimately, Jenny is also sold, and Tom goes with her to her new home.

The final part of the book is very strange and it's difficult to tell who is talking.  We find out what ultimately happens with Tom and Jenny, but we also find Jenny's skeleton in a museum in London in the modern day and whoever is narrating seems to have been with Tom and Jenny at their end...and now, 2 centuries later, are talking about it.