From Tess Uriza Holthe

I am so delighted to have When the Elephants Dance chosen for Mountain View Reads Together.

The power of the written and spoken word to heal, spark discussion and bring people together never ceases to amaze me. In fact, many aspects of this book stemmed from having grown up in a diverse household teeming with people: relatives, newly immigrated Filipinos, players of my parents weekly mahjong games, service men from my brother's Vietnam boot camp and my grandfather's World War II Navy Veteran's group. Over the years, their personal experiences, stories and characteristics soaked into my skin and many years later, onto the page. During many of my book readings people in the audience felt compelled to share their parents' and their own life experiences of World War II. I look forward to hearing what the community of Mountain View has to share after reading WHEN THE ELEPHANTS DANCE.

-- Tess Uriza Holthe
(photo by Russ Pelton)