Still Life with Elephant: A Novel (Hardcover)
by: Judy Reene Singer
Published by: Harper Collins
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Reviewed by Patty Inglish, MS
(also in CD)
Physically harming animals to force them to perform tricks is wrong. Playing tricks on human beings in order to hurt them is equally as wrong. Still Life With Elephants: A Novel by Judy Singer, examines both of these phenomena through the lenses of animal care, counseling, and necessary journeys. The author masterfully unfolds a poignant story, punctuated with hilarity and juxtaposition to leave the reader changed.
Emotional traumas in youth do not always heal; when pushed into the subconscious, they tear apart adult lives. They come calling, as we age, with increasing frequency until–as the author suggests–they either explode or implode. Protagonist Neelie suffers both states of emotional trauma.
Neelie as a social worker soothes broken people, and as a horse trainer, calms broken equines. A self-proclaimed rescuer, she avoids her own heartache of an unredeemable teen loss by having constantly blaring background music. Neelie suffers posttraumatic aphasia, hearing nonsense phrases when people address her. She is comfortable only with animals–they do not speak words and therefore, cannot lie. Few people can penetrate her bubble and she begins to lose them, but some need to be lost. Until then, Neelie floats in some “quantum mind state” like liminal mental space, until she chooses clarity.
A rival for Neelie’s husband sucks the man dry of love and money in an exploding vortex of clinical insanity, but the shock and after-tremors help Neelie to get a grip. Appealingly, rescuing African elephants and enjoying jelly donuts with her pachyderms provides a cacophony of insights that light her dim and static-filled life.
Elephants and jelly donuts make quite an effective team in this novel, edifying both the human and animal heart. Judy Singer uses them to gain attention as well for animal rescue groups in their miraculous work. The abuse of elephants in Africa, Thailand, and some circuses is unspeakable, but rescue organizations provide medical treatment, prosthetic legs, companionship, and protection. Conversely, elephants, horses, cats, and dogs are all valuable in psychological and medical therapy.
Emotional and physical pain and abuse are so widespread today that everyone should read this book.
Armchair Interviews says: A 5-star thought-provoking read.
Author’s Web site: http://www.JudyReeneSinger.com
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