"Thirteen-year-old Rachel Sheridan is left an orphan after influenza takes the lives of her missionary parents in British East Africa in 1919. When cruel neighbors take her in, Rachel suspects their intentions may not be honest. Soon, Rachel becomes entangled in a shocking and nefarious plot that takes her away from her beloved east Africa on a lonely and treacherous journey across the ocean. Surrounded by greed and lies, Rachel must rely on her irrepressible spirit and extraordinary wit to weather her incredible adventure. And somewhere along the way, between deception and hope, the truth sets Rachel free and Africa calls her home."This story is broken up into three parts. The first two reminded me so much of A Little Princess. They also reminded my of a Shirley Temple film. Not any particular one. Just a Shirley Temple film. You have the orphaned girl, the wicked person/people trying to use her for their own benefit, and the sweet elderly companion. If she had befriended and younger adult and set them up with someone else (preferably someone related to either the elderly companion or the wicked people) it would have been complete!*However, even with without the adorable matchmaking scheme, this book was great! I really enjoyed it. It was fast-paced but at the same it felt very relaxed and comfortable. It was extremely easy to read while at the same time it wasn't watered down for kids. The writing was excellent.The third and final part of the story was a sort of coming of age story that dealt with the difficulties women faced in that time. When Rachel goes to university to train as a doctor, there is much doubt off her abilities and she has to soldier through it and do the right thing. While that was a very present issue, it wasn't there to push feminist viewpoints and agendas. It was simply something that happened in history and I felt it was portrayed quite nicely. I really feel that the whole book was written very well. Nothing felt slow or forced. Nothing was unbelievable, for me at least. Nothing left me feeling unsatisfied. It was a actually a fairly short book but it didn't really feel like I just raced through it. I read a book recently that was an alright sort of story and written pretty well but it just rushed past me and when I was finished I just went on with life as though I had never read it. I don't like that feeling after I finish a book. I never mind if a book is short as long as I still get the right feeling when I'm finished with it. For me, the right feeling is when you put down the book and you just feel so full of emotions but at the same time you feel empty because the ending of the book was like cutting off a bit of something. When I read a good book, that book is like a whole new life and when it's over it's like that life has ended. The really good ones can be read again and again and you always love it but you still don't have quite the same feeling you did the first time. If you read a book and just immediately go back to your real life then it couldn't have been all that good. If it's that easy to go back then you must not have really left. I don't know about everyone else but I don't like books like that very well. But 'Listening For Lions' gave me the right feeling at the end.So to cut it short, I loved the journey this book gave me and I definitely recommend it.*I know not every Shirley Temple film follows that formula but it seems pretty common to me.
Rachel loves her life in Africa, where her father runs a missionary hospital and her mother runs a local school. Unlike other British citizens in East Africa, particularly Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard and their daughter Valerie, her family lives simply with the Kikuyu and the Masai tribes, respecting their traditions, holding church services and training them to work in the hospital. Her peaceful life is shattered when both her parents, as well as Valerie Pritchard, die from an outbreak of influenza, forcing her to move in with the Pritchards. Rachel assumes that the mission will send for her, and she will be sent to an orphanage in England. The Pritchards have other ideas though. Noticing Rachel and Valerie’s similarity in age and hair color, they decide that Rachel shall pose as Valerie and return to England. Once there, she is to recapture the good graces (and money) of Valerie’s ailing grandfather, allowing the Pritchard’s to return from Africa to England. Mrs. Pritchard pulled her chair closer to me and began to speak in what she must have thought was a kindly tone, but which sounded false in my ears. “Rachel, my dear, you have it in your power to do a great kindness to an elderly gentleman. More than a great kindness. It would not be an exaggeration to say you could save an old man’s life.”“I don’t know,” I said. “I think it would be wrong.”“Nonsense,” Mrs. Pritchard said. “It is your Christian duty. If you could save the poor man and you chose not to, it would be as bad as murder.”Rachel knows that it would be wrong to deceive the elderly man, but she seeing no other option, agrees to go to England. Will she be discovered as an imposter right away? Or will she trick grandfather and give the Pritchards exactly what they want?From the exotic locale of Africa, to the harsh winters of England, Listening for Lions follows a young girl’s journey into adulthood as she struggles to regain control of her life and do what she knows is right. Despite being a little slow, and having a girl as the main character, this was a book that even the fifth grade boys in my book club really enjoyed.
What do You think about Listening For Lions (2006)?
Listening for Lionsby Gloria WhelanHarper Trophy2005Middle Grade, Historical FictionListening for Lions by Gloria Whelan is a great book for fans of historical fictiono. Rachel lives with her parents at a missionary hospital in Africa in the early 1900's. After both her parents die of influenza Rachel is kidnapped by a rich couple determined to reclaim their inheritence. She is sent to live with the Grandfather of a girl who died of influenzna. Given instructions to impersonate the late girl so the couple can reclaim an inheritence. Very reminicent of classics like Anne of Green Gables or The Secret Garden but with a dash of The Prince and the Pauper thrown in. Listening for Lions is well written. Rachel is a heroine who is sure to be read for many years.
—Pat (Get Kids to Read) Tierney
Rachel Sheridan was born and raised in British East Africa, the daughter of British missionary parents who ran a hospital there. Africa is the only home Rachel has ever known, and she loves it. But everything changes in 1919, when Rachel is thirteen. An influenza epidemic arrives and takes the lives of her parents. Because her parents were orphans, Rachel has no family to turn to, and is caught up in the devious plans of their wealthy neighbors, the Pritchards. The Pritchards lost their daughter
—Rebecca
LISTENING FOR LIONSby: Gloria WhelanThe book "LISTENING FOR LIONS" is about a girl named Rachel Sheridan who was born and raised in British East Africa, the daughter of British missionary parents who ran a hospital there. Africa is the only home Rachel has ever known, and she loves it. But everything changed in 1919, a disease called influenza epidemic arrives and kills her parents. Since Rachel's parents were orphans, Rachel has no family to turn to, and is caught up in plans of their wealthy neighbors, the Pritchards. The Pritchards lost their daughter Valerie in the epidemic. Valerie was about to leave to visit her grandfather in England, and the Pritchards force Rachel to impersonate Valerie and take her place. They hope Rachel will win the grandfather's heart and persuade him to leave his estate and money to the Pritchards. Rachel is devastated to leave her beloved Africa and travel to cold, lonely England. She finds herself coming to care for her "Grandfather," but hates living a lie, and fears the Pritchards will someday follow her to England. At the same time, she is determined to find a way to return to Africa and reopen her parents' hospital. This book overall was pretty good.I recommend this book to people who like historical fiction books. In the book I liked how the author showed that a women can be strong even at a young age. It was interesting to look into a different culture and a different time, with some lessons to be learned along the way.
—Ashley
