Monday, September 10, 2007

2007's Book: When the Elephants Dance


The book selected for Mountain View Reads Together 2007 is When the Elephants Dance by Tess Uriza Holthe. A family hides with their neighbors in a cramped cellar, where they glean hope from the family stories and folktales they share with each other. These stories of love, survival, and family blend the supernatural with the rich, little known history of the Philippines: the centuries of Spanish colonization, the power of the Catholic church, and the colorful worlds of the Spanish, Mestizo, and Filipino cultures.

The author will be participating at these events:

Tess Uriza Holthe in Conversation with
Linda Watanabe McFerrin
Thursday, November 1, 7:00 PM
Mountain View Senior Center, 266 Escuela Ave.
It was poet, novelist, and teacher Linda Watanabe McFerrin’s class that launched Tess Uriza Holthe’s interest in writing. A year and a half later, Holthe wrote When the Elephants Dance, a novel of human survival in the crossfire of warfare based upon her own family stories in the Philippines during World War II. Join us for a thoughtful conversation between these two Bay Area authors.

Meet the Author
Thursday, Nov. 29, 7:00 PM
Mountain View High School, 3535 Truman Ave.
In When the Elephants Dance stories of Filipino culture and history are woven into the harsh realities of the last days of World War II in the Philippines. Hopefully, you’ve read the book and now’s your opportunity to ask the author your questions. Author Tess Uriza Holthe will speak and answer questions.