An Elephant in the Garden Summary
Michael Morpurgo

An Elephant in the Garden Overview

The Elephant in the Garden is a historical fiction novel by Michael Morpurgo. It is a frame story in which a nurse at an elderly living facility and her son listen to one of the patients, Lizzie, recount her adolescent experiences living in Germany during World War II. Lizzie, her mother, and her brother Karli must travel from the bombed wreckage of the city Dresden to a safe area -- but they also bring an elephant that their mother had taken care of at the zoo in Dresden. On their journey to safety, they encounter a Canadian soldier, an enigmatic woman who runs a safe house, and other refugees. Morpurgo explores themes of resilience, the relationship between man and the natural world, and the impact of World War II on individual lives.