The White Bone has been in my to-be-read pile for a decade, and I finally got around to reading it. Author Gowdy writes from the point of view of elephants on the African savannah as they face threats from mankind, climate change, and their natural predators. I cannot think of another author who has so splendidly gotten into the mindset of another species. While minimally anthropomorphic, the elements have dreams, legends, myths, and a naming system. Gowdy’s research is impeccable.
Mud, a young female, has been adopted into another herd after the death of her mother. She is a visionary with dreams that predict the future. A male elephant, Tall Time, brings word of a mysterious relic, the White Bone, said to hold great power that can lead them to the Safe Place where at least they will be protected. Finding this bone and getting to the safe place are no simple matters.
The elephants, despite their plight, remain hopeful on their epic journey. The pathos of their plight is astonishing, thus the book is rather sorrowful, even bleak at times. The book is definitely worth reading because of Gowdy’s exploration of the minds of another species.
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The White Bone (Metropolitan Books, first edition, June 3, 2000) is available through:
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