When the Elephants Dance [Paperback]

Tess Uriza Holthe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 24, 2003

In the waning days of World War II, the Filipino people were caught between a brutal Japanese occupation and battling U.S. forces. In this compelling, incandescent novel, thirteen-year-old Alejandro Karangalan, his spirited older sister Isabelle, and Domingo, a passionate guerilla commander, narrate the story of the Karangalans-a family who huddle with their neighbors in the cellar of a house near Manila to wait out the war. In their crowded refuge, the group shares magical stories of Filipino myth and legend. Spellbinding, with a dazzling array of ghosts, witches, supernatural creatures, and courageous Filipinos from history, these tales transport the listeners and give them new resolve to survive.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Tess Uriza Holthe writes with a mixture of metaphor and fact, a combination of the supernatural and the all-too-real. When the Elephants Dance opens, in fact, with an apposite metaphor for a horrible reality: "Papa explains the war like this: 'When the elephants dance, the chickens must be careful.'" The elephants in question are the Americans and the Japanese, fighting for possession of the Philippines. The chickens are, of course, the ordinary Filipinos. Three of these "chickens" by turns tell us the story of the Japanese occupation as a small neighborhood near Manila literally goes underground, hiding in the cellar and swapping stories. Holthe takes her onus as a seminal Filipino voice seriously; she sometimes seems determined to cram every bit of tradition, history, and myth into her novel, to the detriment of the plot's propulsion. But readers who stay with her will be rewarded with an extraordinary display of historical color, and will certainly root for her three narrators. --Claire Dederer --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

"Papa explains the war like this," narrates 13-year-old Alejandro as he heads through a series of Japanese barricades and check points. " `When the elephants dance, the chickens must be careful.' The great beasts, as they circle one another, shaking the trees and trumpeting loudly, are the Amerikanos and the Japanese as they fight. And our Philippine Islands? We are the small chickens." Inspired by her father, who grew up in the Philippines under the Japanese occupation during WWII, first-time novelist Holthe writes about the experience from a variety of civilian perspectives. Set in Manila during the final week of the Japanese-American battle for control of the islands, the novel centers on a small, mismatched group of families and neighbors who huddle in a cellar while Japanese occupiers terrorize and pillage above. Because food and water are scarce, some of the refugees must leave the shelter to forage for sustenance. In simple, strong language, Holthe conveys the terrifying experience of darting bullets and machetes above ground and the equally horrendous experience of waiting for loved ones to return. Grounded in Philippine myth and culture, the novel is filled with beautiful, allegorical stories told by the story's elders, who try to share wisdom and inspire their captive audience in the midst of gruesome violence. Primarily narrated by Alejandro; his older, headstrong sister, Isabelle; and Domingo, a guerrilla commander living a double life one with his family in the cellar, the other with his true love and adopted son in his rebel army this beautiful, harsh war story is no epic. Rather, Holthe presents personal, pointed fragments that clearly demonstrate history's cultural and personal fallout. (Jan.)Forecast: A promotional blitz an eight-city author tour, targeted marketing to Asian organizations, and radio and print advertising campaigns should alert readers who appreciate simple, moving storytelling to this powerful debut.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (June 24, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142002887
• ISBN-13: 978-0142002889
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,820 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The structure added depth and texture to a story well told, April 5, 2002

By 

Linda Linguvic (New York City) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: When the Elephants Dance: A Novel (Hardcover)

This is a first novel by Tess Uriza Holthe, a young Filipino-American woman and what an amazing debut it is! It's based on her father's experiences in the Philippines during World War 2 and it describes the devastating effect it had on the people. The title comes from the saying "when the elephants dance, the chickens must be careful", and it alludes to the Japanese and Americans as the powerful elephants and the Filipino people as the chickens who must scurry about and try not to get trampled.

The storyline follows some Filipino neighbors who hide in a basement during the final days of the war, venturing out only to find food. These trips are dangerous and capture means torture or death, but still they venture out. There's a 12-year-old boy, his 17-year-old sister as well as a young man who has chosen to be a guerilla. We get to know each of them well, as well as their families and identify with their fear, hunger and courage. But Ms. Holthe has added a second element to the story. While they are trapped in that basement, and later when they are prisoners in Manila, the elders tell stories laced with magic realism, which not only keeps their minds off the war around them, but also introduces the reader to some of the history, myths and legends of the people. This structure added depth and texture as the life lessons they taught affected the hard choices made by the characters.

I loved the voice, the tone, the interweaving of past and present. And I loved learning about the Philippine culture. I could almost taste the food, smell the ripe foliage, feel the heat. I learned about the hard years of Spanish rule, the role of the church, and the poverty of the lower classes. There are lessons in everyday living. And some moving love stories. This book has everything. The author, however, has been criticized for getting distances between places confused and for misspelling Tagalog words. As an American, however, I was not aware of these small details. I was totally caught up in the story and found myself thinking about the characters long after I put the book down for the day. This is a simply wonderful book and I highly recommend it.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lyrical and captivating!, January 27, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: When the Elephants Dance: A Novel (Hardcover)

This wonderful book is a treat for readers everywhere! Beautifully written (many of the passages absolutely sing), it's reminiscent of the classics--from 100 Years of Solitude, the Canterbury Tales and the Decameron.

In the wartime Philipines, several families gather in a cellar to hide from the Japanese soldiers who terrorize the Filipino population. To pass the time and quell the pains of hunger, they tell each other stories, which are without a doubt the best part of the novel. Rich with Filipino myth and magical realism, each story reveals something not only about the characters, but about this long-ignored but proud Pacific culture. The story of war, which plays out simultaneously, is less captivating, but that's only because of the superb quality of the stories, which would be hard for any writer to top. Still, the story of these people, caught between the Japanese and the Americans, illuminates a part of the war that many of us have never really learned about.

This is a triumphant, beautifully written book, which stayed with me a long time after I finished it. Very highly recommended.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not what I thought...and fabulous!, July 8, 2002

By 

Amazonbombshell (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When the Elephants Dance: A Novel (Hardcover)

I kept hearing that this book was a blend of magical realism and painful reality. It is...I guess. It's a story of the last days of WWII in the Philippine Islands, during the Japanese occupation. The present-time narrative alternates between the points of view of three young people, and now and then it shifts to a story of the past, told by one of the older people, that tends to contain elements of the magical or supernatural, and is intended to convey a lesson for the young people in the present. This plot style has the potential to disintegrate into chaos, by Holthe skillfully keeps it moving with gorgeous prose and seemless blending of past and present tales. Her portrait of a nation caught between the hammer and anvil of two powerful opposing armies, of a people struggling to salvage identity and honor from the blood and ashes of war, is beautifully written and heartbreaking. This is REAL literature.