Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived Book

I gave this book one star because Mr. Helfer has passed it off as a true story, when clearly, it is not. Apparently, there was indeed an elephant named Modoc'there were six documented with that name, in fact. Yet, any reader with a critical eye can see that this is a tale of pure fantasy, with only the most distant connection to truth.

The events of the story are certainly exciting and provide a good plot line, full of adventure and drama, especially for an animal lover such as myself, but there isn't an ounce of realism to it. The events unfold with one amazing happening after another, complete with a shipwreck and subsequent rescue, a secret voyage of a boy and his elephant through the Indian jungle, the killing of several bandit men by the elephant in fierce protection of the boy, a Burmese village being overtaken by renegade soldiers, the execution of a man by elephant stomping, a battle scene during which several soldiers and the boy's young bride are killed, an elephant falling off a cliff, two weddings, a fatal circus fire (this event did happen, at least), the blinding of the elephant by a drunkard with a bull hook, the poisoning of all the elephants in the circus, followed by the last minute discovery of an antidote, and finally, the reunion of the boy and elephant after ten years apart at none other than the author's ranch in CA, where through miracle of miracles, Modoc the elephant has found refuge. (Oh, Please!)

Meanwhile, the two love stories within this tale are terribly embarrassing and schmaltzy. The dialogue has an awkward, artificial quality, and lacks realism. And not surprisingly, the characters fall into two camps: the good guys and the bad guys. The good guys are really good and the bad guys are really bad! There is no subtlety, no nuance, and no complexity or personality.

Now, if this book were written as a fable or a myth, especially for young readers, it would make much more sense. As a fable, it is a wonderful tale, full of life lessons, exotic places, rites of passage, tragedy, adventure, the struggle of good versus evil, and a bit of spirituality to boot. The dialogue is more appropriate as part of a mythical story, with universal lessons. And with such high drama, it is a page turner of a tale. Shame on Mr. Helfer for misrepresenting it as fact.