When the Elephants Dance

What a powerful, but absolutely heart wrenching and heartbreaking book. We know that the atrocities during WW2 were numerous, but I think some stories are told much more frequently than others, some perspectives more prominent in the history books. Over the past few years I've been blessed with new friends of Filipino decent and even started listening to a Filipino music group, but realized recently I know basically nothing about the Philippines. It's history, culture and people are very unknown to me. So I decided to read some books by Filipino authors and about the Filipino experience. This one topped many lists of recommendations and it peaked my interest due to the time period and the premise of storytelling at its heart. I think what struck me most was how little the atrocities that took place in the Philippines are not part of our history books and how Holthe manages to bring it so vividly and starkly to the forefront in her novel. This isn't an easy read. The depravity of humanity is not shied from in her telling as she recounts the story from 3 very different perspectives, filling it with a much more rounded picture by doing this. It is then interspersed with fantastical tales the characters tell each other as they await their fate in the bunker. In true and superb storytelling fashion the tales are not only entertaining, but also filled with moral lessons which reflect the situation the characters find themselves in and helps them sort through their own thoughts, feelings and motivations. I loved her use of this in the story and it helped break up the very heavy and depressing elements of the reality happening in the main part. Tess Uriza Holthe tells a powerful tale of her people here, one I think needed to be voiced and one I recommend reading to understand a little more about the Filipino people and the history that has shaped who they are today. The characters are well written, humanly flawed and yet relatable. They bring an empathy to this dark time. A emotional, difficult and yet hopeful story, one that reminds us of the power of storytelling and community and culture.