By Alicja Duda
Much like baking a batch of Wal-mart brand cookies, Listening for Lions requires little effort, takes less than twenty minutes and provides the expected comfort of a sweet ending that some would consider bad for their health.
Just following the First World War, thirteen-year-old Rachel Sheridan endures the imminent damage of another killer stalking British East Africa: the influenza. Lacking the necessary medical equipment and staff, Rachel’s father, the only doctor working at the hospital in Tumaini, struggles to fight against the disease that seizes his patients and, ultimately, himself. Rachel’s mother, a teacher, also risks her life by comforting childless mothers and caring for the orphaned children in the hospital.
When the ruthless momentum of the spreading influenza takes the lives of her parents, Rachel is taken into the custody of suspiciously generous guardians, swept away from her homeland and sent away to a foreign country. She is then faced with the battle of the deceptive authority around her and her own personal struggles between heartless guilt and heartfelt loss.
However, Whelan would not dare let the cookies burn and ruin the anticipated delight of the reader. No, at this point, the oven has only just finished pre-heating.
Rachel, being the reliant protagonist that she is, dutifully rolls up her sleeves, raises her chin and marches into the troublesome plot Whelan has set for her. After recovering from the initial culture shock, Rachel goes to school and endures the ridicules of her peers, all the while repressing her omnipresent sense of loss for her hometown and parents.
Through perseverance and following her dreams, Rachel evolves from a victimized adolescent into an accomplished and talented young woman. Perhaps all that could be missing is a glass of milk to complete the lingering sweet ending.
