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When Elephants Fly Hardcover – September 4, 2018

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 132 ratings
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"Nancy Richardson Fischer deserves high praise for her well-researched and endearing novel. Her imagination, craft, and effort has resulted in her writing a piece of fiction that is worthy of winning a prize. This really is an outstanding piece of fiction that cannot be recommended enough.” –New York Journal of Books

A Parade Most Anticipated Book of Fall 2018!
A YA Books Central Buzzworthy Books of Fall 2018!
A Publishers Lunch Fall Buzz Book!

Don’t miss one of the most heartwarming young adult novels of the year. Perfect for fans of Water for Elephants, Wonder and All the Bright Places, When Elephants Fly shows that how we choose to live our lives matters, and that there are some battles worth fighting even if it means losing yourself.

T. Lily Decker is a high school senior with a twelve-year plan: avoid stress, drugs, alcohol and boyfriends, and take regular psych quizzes administered by her best friend, Sawyer, to make sure she’s not developing schizophrenia.

Genetics are not on Lily’s side. When she was seven, her mother, who had paranoid schizophrenia, tried to kill her. And a secret has revealed that Lily’s odds are even worse than she thought. Still, there’s a chance to avoid triggering the mental health condition, if Lily can live a careful life from ages eighteen to thirty, when schizophrenia most commonly manifests.

But when a newspaper internship results in Lily witnessing a mother elephant try to kill her three-week-old calf, Swifty, Lily can’t abandon the story or the calf. With Swifty in danger of dying from grief, Lily must choose whether to risk everything, including her sanity and a first love, on a desperate road trip to save the calf’s life, perhaps finding her own version of freedom along the way.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    400 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harlequin Teen
  4. Publication date
    September 4, 2018
  5. Grade level
    7 - 9
  6. Reading age
    13 years and up
  7. Dimensions
    5.78 x 1.32 x 8.51 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    1335012362
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1335012364
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"When Elephants Fly is a compelling read, beautifully threading the complex relationship between mothers and daughters, mental illness and elephants."-National Book Award finalist Carrie Arcos

"Not only does this book show the reader the perils of keeping elephants in zoos and having them perform in circuses, it does it with heart, grace, and imagination." -Nina Berry, author of The Notorious Pagan Jones and the Otherkin series

"Unlike anything I've read before in YA, When Elephants Fly is both a fascinating adventure and a stirring coming-of-age novel. There are few clear heroes or villains, and no easy answers for Lily as she moves into an uncertain future. The bond between elephant and girl is deftly wrought-reminiscent of Alec and the Black in Walter Farley's classic, The Black Stallion, but for an older, contemporary audience." -Sara Zarr, author of Gem & Dixie, National Book Award finalist

"When Elephants Fly will inspire readers to love through fear, to love themselves and their humanity, to love the world." - Jenny Torres Sanchez, author of The Fall of Innocence

"Nancy Richardson Fischer deserves high praise for her well-researched and endearing novel. Her imagination, craft, and effort has resulted in her writing a piece of fiction that is worthy of winning a prize. This really is an outstanding piece of fiction that cannot be recommended enough." –New York Journal of Books

"As much a story about mental health as it is about compassion and evolution." –School Library Journal

"Fischer's story encompasses the themes of love, courage, and forgiveness with lively, well-rounded characters, not the least of whom is Swifty. Lily is especially vibrant as she evolves from her quiet, safe existence into someone who recognizes the difference between simply being alive and living." –Booklist

"Compelling...Provides a relevant and relatable character in an often overlooked subject area." –TeenReads.com

"Nancy Richardson Fischer has managed to combine so many important topics-family, mental illness, extinction, animal welfare, and adolescence-into an accessible, moving and extraordinary story." -Ellen C. O'Connell, Executive Vice President, Global, Space for Giants

"This book was an absolute pleasure to read. I encourage everyone to read this inspirational book and discuss mental illness and tolerance and the need to improve wildlife protection." -Katie Rowe, Pritzker Genius Award nominee, Co-founder Reteti Elephant Sanctuary

From the Back Cover

HOW YOU LIVE MATTERS

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harlequin Teen; Original edition (September 4, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1335012362
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1335012364
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 years and up
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.78 x 1.32 x 8.51 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 132 ratings

About the author

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Nan Fischer

Nan Fischer

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Nan Fischer is the author of SOME OF IT WAS REAL and THE BOOK OF SILVER LININGS (Penguin Random House/Berkley Publishing), the young adult novels When Elephants Fly and The Speed of Falling Objects (HarperCollins/Inkyard Press) under the name Nancy Richardson Fischer, a Star Wars trilogy for LucasFilm and six sport autobiographies ranging from Bela Karolyi and Monica Seles to Apolo Anton Ohno and Julie Krone.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
132 global ratings
Fischer’s writing was beautiful, captivating, and easy to connect with immediately!
5 Stars
Fischer’s writing was beautiful, captivating, and easy to connect with immediately!
I wish I could express with words how much I truly loved this book but I don’t think I possibly could. Sawyer, Otis, and of course baby elephant Swifty cracked my heart wide open. Tiger Lily quickly became one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. I read this book through many laughs, quite a few tears, and very high anxiety trying to anticipate what was going to happen next. Between gasping out loud and raising my fist in solidarity or excitement, this book had everything you could want in a story. I didn’t expect to be completely immersed when I started reading it but that is exactly what happened. I thought Fischer’s writing was beautiful, captivating, and easy to connect with immediately. I was highly impressed with the amount of research she clearly did on Elephants in the wild and in any sort of captivity but also on schizophrenia and how that manifests differently for each person. When Elephants Fly was the first book I finished reading in 2019 and what a way to kick of the year. ALL THE STARS.Huge thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book!
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Top reviews from the United States

Megan Salmon
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book!
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2018
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I couldn't put this book down! It shines a light on so many important topics while telling a wonderful story that keeps you hooked. It made me think, cry, and laugh, while following T. Lily and Swifty's journey together. It shares realistic truths about the world we live in through a heart warming story of a young woman coming into her own and the special bonds that can be shared with animals. It's a great story for teenage or adult readers.
5 people found this helpful
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Jenna Bookish
4.0 out of 5 stars A Coming of Age Story about Mental Health... and Elephants
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2018
I received an early release copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. 

As a person with an education background in psychology, I had some misgivings about the subject matter of this novel going into it. Lily's schizophrenic mother tried to kill her when she was a young girl. Lily struggles to deal with that trauma and also the looming threat of developing the disorder herself, given the genetic component. Schizophrenia is a such a highly stigmatized illness, and a novel with a schizophrenic character committing such a dramatic act of violence at the center of the story is concerning. While delusions in thought can cause a person with schizophrenia to become violent, most people living with this disorder are not violent and are at far greater risk of harming themselves than they are anyone else. So while Lily's story is certainly not out of the realm of possibility in the real world, these are important things to keep in mind when reading a story like this.

That being said, I do think that Fischer made efforts to treat the subject matter with sensitivity. She has used Lily's concerns about developing the disorder as a means to relay information to the reader; Lily has researched this topic tirelessly as a means of maintaining a sense of control over her life and mental health, and is aware, for example, of the risk of suicide for patients dealing with this disorder. Lily is a very sympathetic protagonist who is acutely aware of her risk of developing this disorder; she also gives the reader a window into what it feels like to be unfairly dismissed based on their mental health status.

Certain characters look down on Lily based on the mere possibility that she may have inherited her mother's illness; should this possibility prove to be true, the contempt would be that much worse. Any and all of Lily's opinions can be dismissed based on the speculated status of her mental health. For an insecure and yet passionate young woman just emerging into adulthood, this is excruciating.

And then there's Swifty. I got so emotionally invested in this baby elephant; Lily's connection with Swifty is palpable, and my heart broke for both of them as Swifty struggled after being rejected by her mother. Many of the passages about Swifty are very well written, but some of them showcase the novel's main weakness, in my opinion. It's very clear that Fischer wanted this novel to educate, and that's admirable.

However, with a 400 page book dealing with intricate subjects such as mental health, adolescence, parenting, and animal rights, the information may not always be woven seamlessly into the story. Certain passages felt forced and awkward. It sometimes felt like the author's own research was pasted into the story without regard to the overall flow of the novel; it had the effect of pulling the reader momentarily out of the story.

Overall, this was a strong novel. It was well-paced with a well-developed and sympathetic protagonist. The story was interesting and multi-faceted. It brought us a character who, despite her overwhelming anxiety about her mental health, is more than her mental health status. Lily has people who love her deeply and a cause she's willing to fight for.
9 people found this helpful
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Steph
5.0 out of 5 stars It's Worth Staying Up All Night To Finish
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2019
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I really enjoyed this book. Not only did I love all the topics that the author covered such as animal treatment, relationships with family and friends, personal growth, mental health, and the challenge of doing the right thing vs. the safe thing.

The story was well written and took me on an emotional ride. I even stayed up all night to finish this and with a kiddo at home, that is a true testament if you give up sleep to dive into a story.
3 people found this helpful
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monique taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfectly defined
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2021
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Best book ever...such a good read I would definitely recommend this book to other. My mom was medically diagnosed with schizophrenia this really hit home to some of the things she suffers from and me being a lover of elephants this was definitely a personal read for me. I love it
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eh - chicago
5.0 out of 5 stars Great books for adults and teens!
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2018
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When elephants fly is such an inspirational and uplifting book. The author deftly addresses mental health, family, and relationship issues in a compelling story of an unlikely heroine on a quest to save an elephant calf. It is a clear and well-written story that is great for adults, teens and book clubs.
5 people found this helpful
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SmartGirlsRead
4.0 out of 5 stars An Engaging Read
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2020
When Elephants Fly by Nancy Richardson Fischer is an enchanting novel about eighteen-year-old Lily who has spent the last eleven years coming to terms with the abuse she suffered at the hand of her schizophrenic mother. Lily knows she is at high risk for succumbing to schizophrenia herself, but she has a very strict twelve-year plan to avoid all possible triggers. That plan is put in danger when she, as an intern reporting for the local newspaper, witnesses an elephant at the zoo reject her own newborn calf, Swift Jones. The article she writes about the event leads to the possibility that the zoo will lose Swifty to a circus on the other side of the country. Determined to continue her job without upsetting her twelve-year plan, Lily tries to remain neutral and unbiased, but can anyone really do that around a sweet baby elephant?

Fischer writes carefully, but clearly, about schizophrenia, both as experienced by Lily's mother Violet and of the possible mental illness pursuing Lily herself.

Crazy is genetic....I've officially entered the danger zone, ages eighteen to thirty, when females with my genetic history are most likely to manifest symptoms of schizophrenia.

Because she knows it could be coming for her, Lily has sworn off drugs, alcohol, boyfriends, stress, and even caffeine in hopes that if she can just make it to thirty she will be safe. She also describes several distressing moments in her early childhood when her mother's illness took hold of her, causing Violet to hurt her daughter.

There is some very awkward writing about the alternating attraction and revulsion she feels toward a young man she meets at the circus and there is some brief sexual content, but otherwise I felt this story was engaging and very well written. It doesn't treat mental illness as an "interesting plot device" or as a toy for the reader's entertainment. Instead it is presented with accurate statistics and with both hope and honest reality. As she says:

The only promise with schizophrenia is that there's both hope and despair...But there are all different kinds of happily-ever-after.

I really enjoyed this book and I think it would make a wonderful topic for discussion, for adults or for older teens. I will leave you with the last bit of the Author's Note:

My wish for every single one of you: live in the moment when you can. Find something or someone to love. Fight for what's important. Change the world one elephant calf at a time.

I second that.
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Elda J Orr
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing story!
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2018
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This book had me hooked from the first page!. I loved the characters, the twists in the plot and couldn't stop thinking about the book once I had finished. You really should read this book!!
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Ed
5.0 out of 5 stars It kept me up way past my bedtime!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2019
Verified Purchase
I have so many unfinished books, but not this one! If only I could have devoured it in a single sitting. The main characters are endearing and the plot intelligently addresses important issues. What a wonderful read that I look forward to passing onto my children when they are teenagers. I am definitely richer for this read. Hooked from the first page, it kept me up way past my bedtime!
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