A thrilling & moving novel about an extraordinary animal caught up in a very human war for anyone who loved The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips or The Butterfly Lion By the award-winning former Children's Laureate & author of War Horse Dresden 1945 Elizabeth & Karli's mother works at the zoo where her favourite animal is a young elephant named Marlene Then the zoo director tells her that the dangerous animals
- including the elephants
- must be shot before the town is bombed Unable to give Marlene up their mother moves her into the back garden to save her & then the bombs start to fall Their home destroyed the whole family must flee the bombed-out city & through the perilous snow-covered landscape all the while avoiding the Russian troops who are drawing ever closer It would be hard enough to do without an elephant in tow