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Set around 5,300 years ago, this story focuses on Etana, who lives with her family in the small village of Muk'eti. She cares for her older sister, who has become despondent and unresponsive after her initiation ceremony before her marriage. Now, Etana is to marry and cannot help but fear the ceremony that has maimed her dear sister in both body and spirit. It is unheard of to defy the village's traditions, yet Etana seeks counsel from the trusted wife of the village leader. The ghost of an ancestor whispers one word: flee. And so she does.
Her dangerous journey to freedom almost ends in her death when she is miraculously saved by the matriarch of an elephant herd. As she gains strength, she lives happily among this new family, discovering she can communicate with the humongous beasts. They fully accept Etana into the herd, and the legend of the Elephant Lady is born. When emissaries from King Apedemak are sent to find the Lady of Elephants, she discovers they are seeking someone to help the king's new war elephant, whom no one can safely approach. She agrees, and during the long journey she becomes friends with the men, including the King's son, Tulli, the leader of the expedition. However, another of the King's sons, Chiyou, is with the group, and his hostility toward her and his brother is undeniable. Will the young Etana be able to navigate the political intrigues of the king and his family? Will she manage to control the king's new war elephant? Will she ever be reunited with her herd?
Sorrell's command of language, attention to detail, creation of well-rounded characters (both human and elephant), and inclusion of folklore, legend, and magic meld into a novel reminiscent of South American authors such as Jorge Luis Borges and Gabriel Marcia Marquez. It is no surprise that the author is a fan of these giants of Magical Realism, a genre the author says she fell in love with when she was a student. She demonstrates a firm grasp of the genre, and the plot features many mystical occurrences that seem both magical and believable. Striking just the right balance between the two, she weaves a magnificent tale that reaches into both the depths of despair and the heights of joy.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Sorrell's writing is her ability to make Etana's herd of elephants seem human with all the empathy, compassion, and anger of the human girl they adopt. Her relationship with the king's war elephant, Ruamoko, whom she had met once when he visited the herd, is explored in depth, and the love between human and animal is touching. It is hard not to appreciate not only the story, but also the language of this novel. Sorrell's descriptions of the savannah and life in both village and city are wonderfully written. She writes prose with a poetical flare while tackling hard issues such as female genital cutting, female empowerment, and animal cruelty. This is one of those novels readers are likely to pick back up and reread. It will tickle the imagination and leave readers with much to ponder. Sorrell is definitely an author to watch.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
A 2026 Eric Hoffer Book Award Grand Prize Short List book