A Hare in the Elephant's Trunk by Jan Coates
Review by Chris Singer
About the author:
Jan Coates has woven Jacob's story into novel form so that young Canadian readers can learn more about this heroic youn man, his ordeal, and his hope for his homeland. Jan in the author of Rainbows in the Dark (2005). She lives in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.
About Jacob Akech Deng:
Jacob Deng now lives in Nova Scotia, is married and has a young family. His foundation, Wadeng Wings of Hope, seeks to build schools for young children in southern Sudan.
Watch the trailer:
About the book:
In the little village of Duk Padiet in southern Sudan, a boy named Jacob Deng thrives on the love of his mother, the companionship of his sisters, the excitement of learning how to look after his uncle’s herds of cattle. The year is 1987, and suddenly in the night soldiers from the north invade the village, looting, burning, and killing. The war has arrived, and the life of Jacob will never be the same.
This novel is based on the real life experiences of a Sudanese boy who, with thousands of other boys from the region, fled for his life and spent seven years walking through deserts, grasslands and forests, crossing crocodile-infested rivers, surviving life in massive refugee camps. The so-called Lost Boys of Sudan – as they were called by an American aid organization – numbered as many as 27,000, and while many died – from starvation, attacks by wild animals, drowning, or through the brutality of the military – many survived. Jacob never returned to his village, but though he was only seven years old when he had to flee, he somehow managed to live through an almost unimaginable ordeal.
Throughout the seven years covered in this story, Jacob resists the temptation to join the liberation army. Steadily Jacob finds himself more and more adhering to his mother’s advice that getting an education is crucial to escaping the cycle of violence that afflicts his country. Jacob’s struggle, then, is to persist in seeking out teachers and eventually a school where his ambition to learn about the world can be met. Through it all he learns about loyalty and love for close friends who have been thrust together with him on this extraordinary journey, and also about the guiding light provided by the memory of his mother.
My take on the book:
The story of the Lost Boys of the Sudan is perhaps one of the most inspirational stories of survival in recent history. It's often beyond even our most active imaginations to picture 27,000 young boys wandering for months through one of the most desolate wildernesses on the planet in order to spend years in a refugee camp away from family and loved ones.
Yet this is exactly the story of these boys and while I've read several books about this and have even met and befriended some of these young men, I never stop being in awe of the Lost Boys' spirit and determination.
Out of the books I've read about the Lost Boys, Jan Coates' A Hare in the Elephant's Trunk just may be the most vivid and riveting one I've read. I very much appreciated the depths in which the author goes into giving us a portrait of not just the main character (Jacob), but also of his companions throughout this amazing journey. Because of this, readers are able to get an incredibly detailed look at the affects of war and conflict on innocent children.
Coate's detailed narrative is ripe with a multitude of themes and lessons for us: Jacob's strength of character despite being in the midst of unimaginable suffering; the faith of these boys in believing that tomorrow was an opportunity for a better day; and how the road to peace is paved with education, not violence.
One of the most compelling aspects of this story was Jacob's learning to read. Jacob was a natural storyteller, inspired by the stories of his grandmother. Her stories and his memories of those stories were instrumental in helping sustain Jacob and his companions at the refugee camp. The power of storytelling and of reading is a message I resonate strongly with and is one of the biggest takeaways from this amazing read.
Included at the end of the book are interviews with the author and with Jacob Deng. These interviews provide an additional glimpse into how this story came together.
The Hare in the Elephant is a must-read for both teens and adults. If we truly want a better world for all, stories such as this need to be read and shared with those around us.
If you're interested in learning more about Jacob and his current work with his non-profit Wadeng Wings of Hope, please visit his website at: www.wadeng.org.
Thank you so much, Chris, for "getting" my book. I'd never attempted to write a manuscript of this length prior to meeting Jacob; after spending two hours interviewing him, I knew his was a story that had to be told for young readers. Jacob's hope is that, upon reading his story, young people will be inspired to work hard to dig themselves out of seemingly insurmountable situations they may encounter in life, and keep wadeng in their hearts as they hope always for a better tomorrow. I so appreciate your contribution to the ongoing journey of "A Hare in the Elephant's Trunk"!
Thank you Jan for letting me review the book!
A great review! I loved this book and the way Jan was able to bring this story to life. A totally different culture. So believable!
I really appreciate your review. I will definitely be reading this book sometime in the future. Bless Jan Coates for writing about Jacob's story so that children can learn about this heart-wrenching event.
Thanks Kathy. It's an incredible book. Jan's a wonderful & tells this story beautifully. It's a must read in my opinion.
Hi, Chris: Thought you might be interested to know that "HARE" has been chosen as one of five finalists for the $25,000 Governor General's Literary Award in Canada this year. The competition includes such literary luminaries as Kenneth Oppel, Tim Wynne-Jones and Deborah Ellis, so I'm not too hopeful of winning, but I'm thrilled to have had my book selected!