The Elephant of Belfast: A Novel
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- Create Date：2021-04-23 12:32:02
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：S. Kirk Walsh
- ISBN：1665032235
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Summary
Inspired by true events， this vivid and moving story of a young woman zookeeper and the elephant she's compelled to protect through the German blitz of Belfast during WWll speaks to not only the tragedy of the times， but also to the ongoing sectarian tensions that still exist in Northern Ireland today--perfect for readers of historical and literary fiction alike。
In October 1940， twenty-year-old zookeeper Hettie Quin meets Violet， a three-year-old elephant arriving at the Belfast docks from Ceylon。 Soon she becomes Violet's dedicated zookeeper at the Bellevue Zoo。 In mourning for the recent loss of her sister and the abandonment of her father， she finds contentment in her relationship with Violet and her fellow zookeepers。
Six months later， in April 1941， Belfast is attacked。 One evening， over five hours， 674 bombs are dropped and almost a thousand civilians are killed。 During the bombings， Hettie Quin fights to save her elephant and survive the destruction and escalating sectarian unrest of the city。
Inspired by the life of Denise Austin， S。 Kirk Walsh deftly renders the changing relationship between Hettie and her young charge， and their growing dependence on each other for survival and solace。 The Elephant of Belfast is a complicated portrait of love， loss， grief， and resilience。
In October 1940， twenty-year-old zookeeper Hettie Quin meets Violet， a three-year-old elephant arriving at the Belfast docks from Ceylon。 Soon she becomes Violet's dedicated zookeeper at the Bellevue Zoo。 In mourning for the recent loss of her sister and the abandonment of her father， she finds contentment in her relationship with Violet and her fellow zookeepers。
Six months later， in April 1941， Belfast is attacked。 One evening， over five hours， 674 bombs are dropped and almost a thousand civilians are killed。 During the bombings， Hettie Quin fights to save her elephant and survive the destruction and escalating sectarian unrest of the city。
Inspired by the life of Denise Austin， S。 Kirk Walsh deftly renders the changing relationship between Hettie and her young charge， and their growing dependence on each other for survival and solace。 The Elephant of Belfast is a complicated portrait of love， loss， grief， and resilience。
Reviews
David Speer
，
The story is based off a real woman named Denise Austin who worked at the Belfast Zoo。 Ms。 Austin did indeed bring an elephant home with her in order to protect it from the Ministry of Public Security who had issued orders to kill all potentially dangerous animals at the zoo fearing they would escape during the blitz if their enclosures were breached due to bomb detonation。 I never knew Belfast was bombed by Germany during WW2， so in that regard I liked the book for having taught me some Irish/W The story is based off a real woman named Denise Austin who worked at the Belfast Zoo。 Ms。 Austin did indeed bring an elephant home with her in order to protect it from the Ministry of Public Security who had issued orders to kill all potentially dangerous animals at the zoo fearing they would escape during the blitz if their enclosures were breached due to bomb detonation。 I never knew Belfast was bombed by Germany during WW2， so in that regard I liked the book for having taught me some Irish/WW2 history I was unaware of。 Having said that， the story the author adapted left a lot to be desired。 4 stars for the history， 2 stars for the story， 3 stars overall。 。。。more
Colleen
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3。5 stars
Suzanne
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A tender and at times harrowing story of a young female zookeeper and the orphaned elephant in her care and what they endure together during the German blitz of Belfast。 A complicated portrait of love， loss， grief， and resilience amid the backdrop of this lesser-known piece of World War II history。
Aimee Borden
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Yes but no。。 I am not sure why but I didn’t completely fall in love with this book。。I think it was the animals being killed that truly broke my heart。。 💔
Bonnie
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 There was little about this book that “made sense” to me。 Hettie’s character is so superficial， I couldn’t even begin to relate to her。 She allows men to continually abuse her sexually and seems confused as to why it’s even happening。 Example: after the 2nd time she goes with Samuel and he tries to rape her， her thought is， “Why would she have thought this time would be any different？” The day of her mom’s disappearance after the bombing， she returns home to find Liam （husband of her deceased si There was little about this book that “made sense” to me。 Hettie’s character is so superficial， I couldn’t even begin to relate to her。 She allows men to continually abuse her sexually and seems confused as to why it’s even happening。 Example: after the 2nd time she goes with Samuel and he tries to rape her， her thought is， “Why would she have thought this time would be any different？” The day of her mom’s disappearance after the bombing， she returns home to find Liam （husband of her deceased sister） stealing her mom’s possessions。 What does she do？ Loses her virginity to him in her mother’s bed and then “suddenly he revolted her。” However， she has sex with him again at the convent。 She’s also attracted to Ferris， but “didn’t know if she liked him in that way。。。”。 I’m not even sure how these situation were even important to the development of the plot。 There is no depth to the narrative and the book ends with Violet simply walking down the street followed by a group of children。 。。。more
Kara Paxton
，
This book really touched me。 I'm going with 4 stars， for now。 So much happened in these pages that I'm still digesting it。 I was really looking forward to this book's arrival and to me， it lived up to the hype。 I adore historical fiction and animals， so this was a "duh" read for me。 The fact that it's based off of a true story just made things all the more "real" to me and I loved getting to know these characters， especially the animals。 I felt like I worked at the zoo at times with how much the This book really touched me。 I'm going with 4 stars， for now。 So much happened in these pages that I'm still digesting it。 I was really looking forward to this book's arrival and to me， it lived up to the hype。 I adore historical fiction and animals， so this was a "duh" read for me。 The fact that it's based off of a true story just made things all the more "real" to me and I loved getting to know these characters， especially the animals。 I felt like I worked at the zoo at times with how much the story sucked me in。The human characters were important as well， and though I disagree with Hettie's assessment of one， they were all crucial to the story。 I really enjoyed learning about Mr。 Wright and seeing his devotion to his job。 I really wish I knew what happened with Hettie years later， especially as the war continued。 An epilogue would have been the cherry on top for me， but I'm also okay with how it ended。Walsh is an excellent writer， putting you into the setting， on the darkened streets as bombs are exploding， or beside a nervous young elephant as the night is lit crimson with fire， or on the edge of the sea with surf flecking your face and that of your elephant savior。 I really enjoyed how she writes。 I cry when I read many books， but reading part of this one on my lunch break today was a terrible mistake。 I never once considered what happened at zoos during WWII and what happens at this one broke my heart。 There are many devastating moments， but equally powerful ones that gave me hope。I will re-read this one someday。 。。。more
Sean Kennedy
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Maybe I loved this book so much because of my family， both sides coming from the foot of Cave Hill and within walking distance of the Belfast Zoo。 My mother remembers seeing Sheila， the elephant that this book is based on， as a child。 I have been back to Belfast twice for extended stays and recognise the places and street names and am flooded with my own memories associated with them。 This book is really only *inspired* by the true events of Sheila in WWII， but it is captivating nonetheless。 I w Maybe I loved this book so much because of my family， both sides coming from the foot of Cave Hill and within walking distance of the Belfast Zoo。 My mother remembers seeing Sheila， the elephant that this book is based on， as a child。 I have been back to Belfast twice for extended stays and recognise the places and street names and am flooded with my own memories associated with them。 This book is really only *inspired* by the true events of Sheila in WWII， but it is captivating nonetheless。 I wish I could walk the crazy path up to the zoo from my mother’s childhood home again。 Maybe in a post-pandemic world。 。。。more
Sharron
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The true setting and story of the bombing of Belfast and a woman zookeeper caring for an elephant were interesting。 The trauma of having already lost her sister and father （of sorts） was good。 But， then to have her keep interacting with men who are toxic in the middle of all that was ridiculous。 When I lost my empathy for Hettie the book was toast。
Sarah
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6。5/10
Kimberlee （reading。wanderwoman）
，
Historical fiction from a different perspective。 I loved this book even though many parts of it were so sad。 This book brings to light many of the things we don't immediately think about when reading about past wartime。 The animals！After a tragic loss of her sister and her estranged father， Hettie works hard at the zoo to try and become one the first full-time female zookeepers and dedicated to taking care of 3 year old elephant， Violet。 Then， more tragedy strikes as the city of Belfast is the t Historical fiction from a different perspective。 I loved this book even though many parts of it were so sad。 This book brings to light many of the things we don't immediately think about when reading about past wartime。 The animals！After a tragic loss of her sister and her estranged father， Hettie works hard at the zoo to try and become one the first full-time female zookeepers and dedicated to taking care of 3 year old elephant， Violet。 Then， more tragedy strikes as the city of Belfast is the target of enemy bombings。 The struggle to ensure her own safety and the safety of the animals in the midst of a war， Hettie's dedication is like no other。 Inspired by true stories， this is one not to miss。 。。。more
Skip
，
Based on the true story of Denise Weston Austin， I liked the zoo elements of this story better than the political and personal elements。 20-year old Hettie Quin is working part-time at the Belfast Zoo in the 1940s， when a young elephant Violet （Vi） arrives from Ceylon。 Zookeepers at the time were male， and yet she manages to do her job well enough to gain full-time employment and become responsible for the welfare of Vi。 Hettie does a great job， with little help， in a challenging time for the zo Based on the true story of Denise Weston Austin， I liked the zoo elements of this story better than the political and personal elements。 20-year old Hettie Quin is working part-time at the Belfast Zoo in the 1940s， when a young elephant Violet （Vi） arrives from Ceylon。 Zookeepers at the time were male， and yet she manages to do her job well enough to gain full-time employment and become responsible for the welfare of Vi。 Hettie does a great job， with little help， in a challenging time for the zoo， especially when the bombings started and wrenching decisions had to be made to save animals。 The other storylines， including her relationship with her mother， estranged father， and widowed brother-in-law were not as polished and the political storyline was particularly weak， especially the competition between the men interested in Hettie。 。。。more
Connie Kelley
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It's not what I expected。 Some parts were difficult that I skimmed。 My heart went out to the animals and Mr。 Wright， the zookeeper。 Hettie and Violet's relationship was very sweet。 Hettie， the main character， witnessed the hardships of war but became a stronger woman。 I give it a 7 out if 10 It's not what I expected。 Some parts were difficult that I skimmed。 My heart went out to the animals and Mr。 Wright， the zookeeper。 Hettie and Violet's relationship was very sweet。 Hettie， the main character， witnessed the hardships of war but became a stronger woman。 I give it a 7 out if 10 。。。more
Sandra
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This is a beautiful book。 The connection between Hettie and Violet really made me invested in the storyline。 This is one of my new favourite historical fictions。 Thank you to the Author， Publihser， and NetGalley， for the e-ARC。 I have recently re-read a library loaned copy and the final result is awesome。 I look forward to purchasing the hard copy for my own personal collection。 A beautifully display cover art too。
Carol lowkey。bookish
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This is a unique addition to the WWII historical fiction books out there， of which there are many。I loved the story about the zookeeper， Hettie， and the zoo animals during WWII。 It opened my eyes about things I wouldn't normally think about like， what happens if the zoo is bombed and the animals get out？ Also， what do you feed these huge animals when there is wartime rationing？ The elephant in the title is Violet， and she is a sweet character unto herself。 The interactions between Violet and Het This is a unique addition to the WWII historical fiction books out there， of which there are many。I loved the story about the zookeeper， Hettie， and the zoo animals during WWII。 It opened my eyes about things I wouldn't normally think about like， what happens if the zoo is bombed and the animals get out？ Also， what do you feed these huge animals when there is wartime rationing？ The elephant in the title is Violet， and she is a sweet character unto herself。 The interactions between Violet and Hettie are a sweet spot during a dismal time。I did feel like Hettie had so much to deal with in her life outside the zoo。 It had me asking， how much can one woman take？ Especially her encounters with Liam。。。I have to say I was let down by that storyline。Thank you to Counterpoint Press for this free review copy of The Elephant of Belfast in exchange for an honest review。Content Warnings: （view spoiler）[animal killings， death， unapologetically blunt descriptions of sexual encounters （hide spoiler）] 。。。more
Ashley Woolston
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This book had so much potential！ But the author kept forcing these romantic subplots into the book。 This made the protagonist an absolute one-dimensional idiot who got sidetracked by any male who paid her the slightest bit of attention。 The storyline about the elephant was awesome。 The bs about her sleeping with her dead sister’s husband （who was also an absolute scumbag！） was hard to believe， gross， and made Hettie unlikable。 Focus on the elephant， she is by far the coolest character in the boo This book had so much potential！ But the author kept forcing these romantic subplots into the book。 This made the protagonist an absolute one-dimensional idiot who got sidetracked by any male who paid her the slightest bit of attention。 The storyline about the elephant was awesome。 The bs about her sleeping with her dead sister’s husband （who was also an absolute scumbag！） was hard to believe， gross， and made Hettie unlikable。 Focus on the elephant， she is by far the coolest character in the book！ 。。。more
Bloss ♡
，
I was so excited to read this and I’m truly gutted I didn’t enjoy it！I found the writing style and dialogue very stilted。 Hettie was absolutely robotic， devoid of any character/emotion and I didn’t feel any vested interest in her as a lead character。 Her obsession with boys and inner monologue on same was tedious and not what I was at all interested in reading。 Her relationships with her line manager， Ferris， her mother， and Liam were all downright bizarre。 She blew hot and cold and the relation I was so excited to read this and I’m truly gutted I didn’t enjoy it！I found the writing style and dialogue very stilted。 Hettie was absolutely robotic， devoid of any character/emotion and I didn’t feel any vested interest in her as a lead character。 Her obsession with boys and inner monologue on same was tedious and not what I was at all interested in reading。 Her relationships with her line manager， Ferris， her mother， and Liam were all downright bizarre。 She blew hot and cold and the relationship dynamics for all turned on a dime。 One minute Mr Wright thinks she’s an inept knob and the next he’s hugging her and getting all maudlin’。 It was jarring and confusing。 Another element that was rather jarring was how everyone kept calling each other by their first and last name （and sometimes middle）。 It didn’t help the authenticity of the dialogue and was another reason the dialogue felt so stilted。 I agree with some other reviewers that the gratuitous sex in this was off-putting。 Interesting parts of the story were glossed over but we got two graphic sex scenes for no reason？ It was a bit strange and an odd choice for a bleak book。 I love elephants and the （view spoiler）[culling of the bonded pair really bothered me as did Hettie giving people rides on Violet。 That’s so cruel and upsetting。 Never mind the completely ridiculous the notion of Violet staying at Hettie’s house。 She was far better off with the nuns if she couldn’t be at the zoo！ （hide spoiler）]Now that I’ve read the book， it’s apparent why the European publishers changed the title of this from “The Elephant of Belfast” to “The Zookeeper of Belfast”。 I would have loved to see more focus on the elephant than on Hettie melodrama。 。。。more
Norrine Thompson
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What a wonderful story。 The relationship built between Hettie and Violet is heart-warming。 I highly recommend this book to everyone。
Helen Rebecca Blog
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A historical fiction novel， based on true events， that is a joy to read。 Belfast 1945 and Hettie has become zookeeper to Belfast’s newest arrival， Violet the elephant。 Their bond develops as WW2 unfolds and Belfast is blitzed。 Hetties character is immediately likeable and I instantly connected with her。 As the storyline and her character develop you realise how much she needs her work with Violet， and how much her relationship with Violet is healing her。 Learning more about Northern Ireland duri A historical fiction novel， based on true events， that is a joy to read。 Belfast 1945 and Hettie has become zookeeper to Belfast’s newest arrival， Violet the elephant。 Their bond develops as WW2 unfolds and Belfast is blitzed。 Hetties character is immediately likeable and I instantly connected with her。 As the storyline and her character develop you realise how much she needs her work with Violet， and how much her relationship with Violet is healing her。 Learning more about Northern Ireland during the war， especially the views of the IRA of the Nazis is fascinating。 Whilst I would describe The Zookeeper of Belfast as heartwarming， there are moments of sadness and poignancy as well as suspense。 Without giving away any spoilers hiding an elephant is stressful！ I thoroughly enjoyed reading this。 。。。more
Alex Curtis
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This book took awhile for me to read because it was just so exquisite。I wanted to savor every word and take it in。 I Loved that it was inspired by true story of Denise Weston Austin。 She was called the “elephant angel。” I loved her and reading about a woman who dealt with such cataclysmic upbringing。 this book is resplendent and will be in my top 10 books of the year。 Please do yourself a favor and get a copy of this book。
MaryBeth Lavazoli
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Completely enjoyed this novel！ This is why I love historical fiction。 Author brings characters to life and I picture being there in Belfast as life turns upside down for Hettie。
Nancy
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A heartwarming story set in the midst of international trauma and personal tragedies。 S。 Kirk Walsh does a beautiful job of illustrating the grief and heartbreak that the characters endure and also the redemptive love that they find。 Loved it so much！
Dee Turner
，
Written in basic English for middle school readers， this is a WWII tear jerker muddled by an IRA character poorly detailed and casually inserted into the plot。
Anjana
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This book was not like the recent others I have read on this theme。 It is historical fiction based on actual facts and WWII in Belfast。 Our lead protagonist is Hettie （ the eponymous zookeeper）， a girl grieving losses in her family and wanting to further her career at the Zoo that she works in。There is a lot to unpack in the narrative: We have Hettie trying to find her place in the world， sort out her feelings for her mother and their life， figure out how to survive in such a turbulent time and This book was not like the recent others I have read on this theme。 It is historical fiction based on actual facts and WWII in Belfast。 Our lead protagonist is Hettie （ the eponymous zookeeper）， a girl grieving losses in her family and wanting to further her career at the Zoo that she works in。There is a lot to unpack in the narrative: We have Hettie trying to find her place in the world， sort out her feelings for her mother and their life， figure out how to survive in such a turbulent time and finally （and unfortunately， a lot of time is devoted to this）， her love life。 The first and last may seem to be the same topic， but they are dealt with differently， and thus the distinction arose in my mind。 I am not claiming that a girl on the cusp of womanhood and starting to live her own life would not have her mind occupied with boys and her feelings for those around her， but in this case， the way it was presented was not very palatable（ to me）， it took away from the emotional complexities of the rest of her life。 It had some heart-rending moments when it came to the animals。 The care of them did grab my attention。The Zoo's animals， the man in charge of the Zoo and the actual owner all drift in and out of the story， and each has a pretty compelling role that is not explored to the extent I hoped。 It is not a bad story by any means; I just hoped for a different focus。 The story of a struggling female zookeeper would have been way more to my taste than of a girl trying to figure out who she is attracted to and why。 It is set in difficult times， and people's conflicting thought processes in the same town were fascinating。 I did learn something about a new place in a given time in history， it was easy reading for the most part， and I am glad I picked it up。I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers， but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience。 。。。more
Frances
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So disappointed in this book。 It was a huge yawn from start to finish。
Michael Travis
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I couldn't wait to get my hands on this debut book for S。 Kirk Walsh。 Family， love， the beauty of animals and connection between Hettie and Violet make this captivating story so much more than the 320 pages that it is。 Easy recommendation for others。The most significant impact on me as a reader was centered on the continued devastation of war， even in Belfast。 One doesn't immediately think of the zoos， the animals and the jeopardy they were in as well。 Some of the bombing scenes and their impact I couldn't wait to get my hands on this debut book for S。 Kirk Walsh。 Family， love， the beauty of animals and connection between Hettie and Violet make this captivating story so much more than the 320 pages that it is。 Easy recommendation for others。The most significant impact on me as a reader was centered on the continued devastation of war， even in Belfast。 One doesn't immediately think of the zoos， the animals and the jeopardy they were in as well。 Some of the bombing scenes and their impact on the animals made me think of what Ivy and I learned about the earthquakes in SoCal and their impact on the LA Zoo primates that we learned about。 。。。more
Brittney
，
Very good， but it’s just … boring。 Until it’s not， and then it immediately switches to heartbreaking。 It took me a lot of effort to get into， a lot of starts and stops and getting distracted by literally anything else。 I must have put this book down 20 times in the first 20 pages。 Nothing interesting really happens for the first 6 chapters actually， and once the action starts， the second half of the book is incredibly sad。 Very much NOT a great story for animal lovers， I’ll tell you that。
Brenda
，
Twenty-year-old Hettie Quin had started part-time at Belfast’s zoo， cleaning up after the animals， caring for them and at the opening of the novel， she was assisting Ferris and Mr Wright in getting the new Indian elephant， three-year-old Violet， from the docks to the zoo。 Violet had just arrived after a long journey at sea and was understandably fractious。 Hettie desperately wanted to work full time， and work with Violet and after the men began leaving to fight in the war， Mr Wright promoted her Twenty-year-old Hettie Quin had started part-time at Belfast’s zoo， cleaning up after the animals， caring for them and at the opening of the novel， she was assisting Ferris and Mr Wright in getting the new Indian elephant， three-year-old Violet， from the docks to the zoo。 Violet had just arrived after a long journey at sea and was understandably fractious。 Hettie desperately wanted to work full time， and work with Violet and after the men began leaving to fight in the war， Mr Wright promoted her to full time zookeeper， looking after Violet as well as other animals。 Hettie’s father had long abandoned the family and when Anna， Hettie’s older sister， had died in childbirth， it was just Hettie and her mother Rose。 As depression ruled Rose’s life， Hettie spent as much time as she could at the zoo and her bond with Violet couldn’t be stronger。 But the night the Germans bombed Belfast， everything changed in the lives of people around her。 Desperate to save Violet， Hettie put her own life at risk several times over。 But would she be able to keep both herself and Violet safe？Set in 1941， The Zookeeper of Belfast by S。 Kirk Walsh is based on a true story and is filled with the amazing courage and tenacity of Hettie。 Although very naïve and innocent in the ways of men and life， Hettie’s love of animals and her compassion for Violet saw her overcome much。 An enjoyable read， The Zookeeper of Belfast is one I recommend。 With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Christina Stroff
，
3。5 Wish it had been less about the main character and more about the animals。
Anuj Singh
，
Good
Paula Lyle
，