When The Elephants Dance

A startling debut from a talented new young writer, WHEN THE ELEPHANTS DANCE is a riveting epic about a family and their neighbors who band together to survive the brutal Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II, as the Americans fight to gain control of the war-ravaged island. Based on the experiences of her father, who was a young boy in the Philippines during World War II, Holthe's story begins during the final week of the ferocious Japanese-American battle for possession of the Philippines. Here, we listen to three distinct narrators who reveal the struggle to survive in a small community outside Manila, where the streets are littered with dead bodies and the threat of capture by Japanese soldiers is around every corner. First, thirteen-year-old Alejandro Karangalan and his younger brother leave the safety of the basement where his family and others are hiding to go look for food for their family and medicine for their ailing father. They are caught by Japanese militants and wrongly accused of murder. Meanwhile, Alejandro's older sister, Isabelle, has been missing for days. As the family fears for her safety, Isabelle is met with the choice of avoiding a Japanese patrol or helping an injured guerrilla commander, whom she believes is responsible for the brutal Japanese counterattacks on their people. Her decisions lead her through a maelstrom of events that leave her stripped of her soul. At the same time, Domingo Matapang, the passionate guerilla commander, is torn between his pivotal role of helping his troops defeat the enemy, or protecting the lives of his wife and child. Will he follow the path of a warrior and a future with his soulmate, Chita, a feisty double agent, or the path of a provider for his wife Lorna and his beloved sons? As the war rages outside, five tales of hope and superstition unfold in the cellar. The stories, which are fueled by the myths and superstitions that were told with reverence in Holthe's Filipino household, help the civilians endure the atrocities and find hope in the midst of chaos.

“Papa explains the war like this: ‘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.” Once in a great while comes a storyteller who can illuminate worlds large and small, magical and true to life. When the Elephants Dance introduces us to the incandescent voice of Tess Uriza Holthe, who sets her remarkable first novel in the waning days of World War II, as the Japanese and the Americans engage in a fierce battle for possession of the Philippine Islands. The Karangalan family and their neighbors huddle for survival in the cellar of a house a few miles from Manila. Outside the safety of their little refuge the war rages on—fiery bombs torch the beautiful Filipino countryside, Japanese soldiers round up and interrogate innocent people, and from the hills guerillas wage a desperate campaign against the enemy. Inside the cellar, these men, women, and children put their hopes and dreams on hold as they wait out the war, only emerging to look for food, water, and medicine. Through the eyes of three narrators, thirteen-year-old Alejandro Karangalan, his spirited older sister Isabelle, and Domingo, a passionate guerilla commander, we see how ordinary people must learn to live in the midst of extraordinary uncertainty, how they must find hope for survival where none seems to exist. They find this hope in the dramatic history of the Philippine Islands and the passion and bravery of its people. Crowded together in the cellar, the Karangalans and their friends and neighbors tell magical stories to one another based on Filipino myth and legend to fuel their courage, pass the time, and teach important lessons. The group is held spellbound by these stories, which feature a dazzling array of ghosts, witches, supernatural creatures, and courageous Filipinos who changed the course of history with their actions. These profoundly moving stories transport the listeners from the chaos of the war around them and give them new resolve to fight on. With When the Elephants Dance Holthe has not only written a gripping narrative of how Alejandro, Isabelle, Domingo and their community fight for survival, but a loving tribute to the magical realism that infuses Filipino culture. The stories shared by her characters are based on the same tales handed down to Holthe from her Filipino father and lola, her grandmother. This stunning debut novel is the first to celebrate in such richness and depth the spirit of the Filipino people and their fascinating story and marks the introduction of a talented new author who will join the ranks of writers such as Arundhati Roy, Manil Suri, and Amy Tan.

Listen along with Ravi to Grandfather's captivating stories about India, where the sun is like a ferocious tiger and monsoon rains cascade like waterfalls. Notes after the story include facts about India's animals, food, culture and religion, and a simple elephant dance music score. AGES:4 to 10 years ILLUSTRATIONS: Colour

Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? sums up Lou Gerstner's historic business achievement, bringing IBM back from the brink of insolvency to lead the computer business once again.Offering a unique case study drawn from decades of experience at some of America's top companies -- McKinsey, American Express, RJR Nabisco -- Gerstner's insights into management and leadership are applicable to any business, at any level. Ranging from strategy to public relations, from finance to organization, Gerstner reveals the lessons of a lifetime running highly successful companies.

Surveys the main features of contemporary Indian foreign policy.

"But, we've always done it that way." This is a warning sign, a symptom of impending disaster for any organization. Shackled, like powerful elephants, to the past, organizations rob themselves of the ingenuity required to meet new competitive challenges and escape the "re" dimension trap of "re-engineering, re-organization and re-structuring that concentrate on short term fixes rather than long term solutions. Teaching the Elephant to Dance is a practical, hands-on guide for creating the right change in any organization, large or small, corporate or governmental, manufacturing or service based. Filled with illuminating case studies, it shows how to devise new corporate visions and strategies... how to overcome inertia .. and how to form labor-management partnerships. Clear, authoritative, practical and inspiring, Teaching the Elephant to Dance provides a step-by-step guide for making the impossible happen.

Based on the popular blog of the same name, Dancing With Elephants includes insightful interviews with chronic disease experts Toni Bernhard, Lucy Kalanithi, and Patch Adams. Sawatsky's landmark book provides support that only a fellow traveler down this road can offer. If you like touching stories, mindful wisdom, and a touch of irreverent humor, then you'll love Sawatsky's life-changing book.

A charming circular story where the tiniest animal just might be the most powerful. When the Elephant walks, he scares the Bear. When the Bear runs away, he scares the Crocodile. When the Crocodile swims for his life, he scares the Wild Hog . . . and so on, down to the Mouse. And who could be scared of the little Mouse? The last spread answers this question in a way that will delight small children-and the endearing animals, rhythmic text, and hilarious illustrations will make this book a favorite.