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Still Life with Elephant: A Novel
 
 
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Still Life with Elephant: A Novel [Hardcover]

Judy Reene Singer (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)


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Book Description

July 10, 2007

Can a badly abused elephant halfway across the world help a woman win back her cheating husband? In this funny, heartwarming story, the author of the beloved novel Horseplay presents another smart, memorable heroine and the animals—and men—she loves.

Neelie Sterling never did listen well to the conversation around her. Always preoccupied with an inner monologue, she sometimes missed things. She was happy when Matt, her veterinarian husband, told her he was getting a collie; she liked dogs. He had said colleague, to help with his busy practice. The problems start when the pretty blonde “collie” calls Neelie to say that she is pregnant with Matt’s child. Sent into a tailspin, Neelie throws herself into her horse training business until she discovers that Matt is part of a group planning to leave for Zimbabwe to rescue a badly injured elephant. Thinking she could win Matt’s heart again, Neelie manages to get included.

The trip is dangerous, exhilarating, and revealing. Neelie learns about herself as a wife and a woman. Back at home, she discovers secrets everywhere—with her parents, with Matt, even in training an elephant. Fighting to keep her life from unraveling as she struggles to gain the elephant’s trust, she ultimately learns that healing can be mutual.


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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Divorce is the elephant in the room for Singer's second novel, following Horseplay. When social worker turned horse trainer Cornelia "Neelie" Sterling finds out her vet husband, Matt, is cheating on her, she throws him out, but can't bear to make it legal. Even after major alarm bells (Matt's partner's pregnancy, Matt's zeroing of the marital joint account), the hearing-impaired Neelie finds "I had not only been deaf, I had also been blind." Faced with losing her house and barn, Neelie jumps aboard Matt's mission to Zimbabwe to rescue two wounded elephants, thinking the transatlantic journey will convince him to recommit to the marriage. There, she finds behemoths in need of care—and the philanthropist who's funding the trip. The secondaries lack texture, but Neelie's misguided struggle rings true. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Praise for Horseplay
“A joyful frolic, full of . . . wry truths about grown-up romance.” —Tampa Tribune

“A rollicking fun read.” —Chicago Sun-Times

“A laugh a minute.” —Jo-Ann Mapson, author of Hank & Chloe and Bad Girl Creek

“I have not laughed so much at a book since Bridget Jones’s Diary.” —Jane Green, author of The Other Woman


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Broadway (July 10, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0767926773
  • ISBN-13: 978-0767926775
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,230,006 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in Montgomery, Alabama at Maxwell Field Airforce Base at the very same moment there was a major blackout. I think it was a perfect opportunity for aliens to make a swap, and I have been looking for my home planet ever since.

 

Customer Reviews

31 Reviews
5 star:
 (17)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (31 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful second course, August 3, 2007
By 
Lil Gluckstern "Just a music lover" (Half Moon Bay, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Still Life with Elephant: A Novel (Hardcover)
Judy Singer has done it again. This book is very different from Horse Play, but a great treat, and a very poignant book. I ached with the heroine and loved her sense of humor. The other adults are charming, but the stars are the elephants. They are wonderfully etched with their own distinct personalities, and connect almost eerily with Neelie as she struggles with training them and finding her own life. Ms. Singer's descriptions of Africa just add to the mix. I really enjoyed and was moved by this book.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars still life with elephant comes through....., July 29, 2007
By 
This review is from: Still Life with Elephant: A Novel (Hardcover)
having read her 1st book HORSEPLAY and loved it ,I was thrilled by STILL LIFE with Elephant. Ms Singer did not disappoint. her characters have depth and compassion, you can relate to them, the story line is wonderful. I could not put it down. and as always you will laugh out loud. While reading in bed on night, I was laughing so hard my husband woke up and the dogs ran in the room to see if I was allright. Her love of horses and all animals shine through. Still Life is a beautifully written story that will grab hold of you and keep your interest till the very end..thank you Judy I look forward to your next book
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars sweet well-written book, October 28, 2007
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This review is from: Still Life with Elephant: A Novel (Hardcover)
I enjoyed Horseplay for its quirky humor. This book is less funny and more poignant in a "cutesy" way. The humor gets tiresome in places, and the characters and plot are a bit too predictable. Singer is a good writer. I just wish she would be a little more daring with her plot and character development. She's at her best (most nuanced) when writing about the horses.

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