Walking with Elephants [Kindle Edition]

Karen S. Bell (Author)

Book Description

Suze Hall is at a crossroads. Her nemesis at work, Wanda, has been promoted and now will be her boss. Her husband, Bob, is leaving her and the three kids for a six-month sabbatical down under. To top it off, her best friend, Marcia, is missing in action—playing footsie with some new boyfriend!

Adding to this disaster stew, David, the gorgeous hunk who broke her young-girl's heart has coincidentally popped back into her life and has something she desperately needs to keep her job.

Walking with Elephants, a lighthearted slice-of- life story, brings to the table the serious work/family issues facing women today. It explores the modern dichotomy of a workplace that is filled with homemakers who still must cook, clean, carpool on nights and weekends, shop for prom dresses, and "create" the holidays—such as Suze. But it also is filled with women who have the same drive as men, have no family responsibilities, and will do what ever it takes to get ahead.

So step into the shoes of Suze Hall and commiserate over workplace politics, titillate your sexual fantasies, ride the wave of a working mother, and fall-down laughing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Bridget Jones meets Erma Bombeck"--The Fiction Forum

Karen S. Bell fills 'Walking With Elephants' with charm, suspense." --Florida Times Union.

Walking with Elephants is a TOP-5 FINALIST in the Kindle Book Review's Best Indie Books of 2012.

Listed at Awesome Indies!

Midwest Book Review: "Walking with Elephants" is a strong addition to contemporary fiction collections.

About the Author

Walking with Elephants is Karen Bell's first novel, although she is not new to writing. After earning a graduate degree in mass communication she spent 15 years as an editor and writer of business materials. She says, "Inspiration for this novel came from my direct contact with the joys of Corporate America and the balancing act that comes with being a working mother." Currently, Ms. Bell resides in Ponte Vedra, Fl with her husband and photos of her children, granddaughters, and grandson who live everywhere BUT Ponte Vedra, Fl.  

Product Details

• File Size: 407 KB
• Print Length: 239 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1934037699
• Publisher: KSB Press (November 17, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006BG7G90
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #333,269 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Acceptable July 1, 2012

By LH422 VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition

This chick-lit novel focuses on Suze Hall, a working mother and wife who is becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the domestic drudgery of her life. Her breaking point comes at the confluence of three events: her husband leaves for an Australian sabbatical, her boss acts like a jerk, and her college boyfriend shows up in town.

The trajectory of this novel is somewhat predictable, but it is competently written. There were times at which I felt quite sympathetic with Suze. Her husband most assuredly acts like a jerk when he plans to go off on sabbatical without consulting his wife. Still, there were other times when I though Suze acted like a twit: see her reaction to a family trip to Australia. In general I thought this book was okay, but not spectacular.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Many times enjoyable with great secondary characters, but lacks the finesse to get it to the next level March 19, 2012

By Christina (Ensconced in YA) TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition

I won this book from a member giveaway on Librarything in exchange for an honest review.

Walking with Elephants is a story of Suze Hall who is a working mother who struggles with balancing her job (which she hates) with being a full time mother and supporter of her husband (who she is currently very angry with). The rest involves a hilarious best friend and a long lost lover who comes back into the picture in a grand way.

There's a lot to like about this little book. I admire the protagonist, Suze. She does a lot. She is talented in many ways that aren't being utilized in her current position. I understand that she wants more out of life. I like that she comes out of her shell and starts making important decisions. I loved Marcia, her best friend. I loved her gay friend Elliot even more. And I had great satisfaction in the grand standoff in the end.

There are issues with this book too, however. There are things I DON'T get about Suze. I understand how frustrated she is with her husband. I get it, I do. But does she ever TALK to him about it? She doesn't communicate with him at all. There is no soul searching about her own part in her rage. We only get very rare glimpses of her husband's strengths; and actually, for most of the book, I was wondering why she married him in the first place. I loved the story of how they met. I loved his letter. But that was about the only things we saw. I thought it was very unfairly biased towards David, since we get to know him a lot better than Bob. I also thought that the essay at the end was too heavy handed and could only skim through it quickly. Finally, Bell really enjoys the exclamation point, which doesn't translate very well in prose, unless it's within quotation marks.

Overall, this book is very readable and many times enjoyable, but it lacks finesse that would make it a really good book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's like catching up with a best friend! November 15, 2010

By Diane Wade

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Walking with Elephants speaks directly to any woman who has loved, laughed, worked outside the home and raised a family. Reading this book gave me the feeling that I was catching up with a treasured friend over a cup of coffee. Karen Bell speaks from the heart to the heart and sums it all up in the book's essay,Walking With Elephants. Great read, perfect Christmas present for that special friend!

More About the Author

Karen S. Bell continues to be in awe of the magical and wondrous phenomenon called life. As an observer and obvious participant in feminine values and approach to our human challenges, she brings this perspective to her work. Fascinated by the mysteries of the unseen forces that perhaps play a role in guiding our choices, she continues to search for answers in the mundane as well as in the cosmic forces that surround us. She is working on her third novel and lives in Ponte Vedra, Fl. with her husband and their two furry kids.