The Elephant Keepers' Children

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Description

What would you do if your parents were con artists A delightful picaresque novel from the author of Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow. Peter and Tilte are trying to track down two notorious criminals- their parents. They are the pastor and the organist, respectively, of the only church on the tiny island of Fin . Known for fabricating cheap miracles to strengthen their congregation's faith, they have been in trouble before. But this time their children suspect they are up to mischief on a far greater scale. When Peter and Tilte learn that scientific and religious leaders from around the world are assembling in Copenhagen for a conference, they know their parents are up to something. Peter and Tilte's quest to find them exposes conspiracies, terrorist plots, an angry bishop, a deranged headmaster, two love-struck police officers, a deluded aristocrat and much more along the way.

Reviews

Hugely enjoyableboth moving and oddly profound -- Harry Ritchie * Daily Mail *
Peter Heg displays a glorious facility for the absurd as well as the picaresque, and the hilarity of Peter Fin's narrative makes this a delightful novel -- Sarah Moss * Guardian *
A playful exercise in whimsy * Independent on Sunday *
Warm and funny * Daily Telegraph *
This is a strange, beguiling novel, which combines madcap adventure with reflections on trust, affection and individual spiritual life * Express *
The Elephant Keepers' Children is, on its own terms, a serene and cheerful and beautifully constructed tale...it has just that extra nudge of extravagant, humorous implausibility which undeniably removes it from realism * Berlingske Tidende *
Heg's sense of humour is wonderful, and his Homeric laughter unfolds over the madhouse that he constructs * Politiken *
There is lots of action, humour, satire and spirituality in Peter Heg's thriller * Kristeligt Dagblad *
A comic, extravagant romp that will leave the reader both bewildered and endeared at once * We Love this Book *

Author Bio

Peter H eg (Author) Peter H eg was born in 1957 and followed various callings - dancer, actor, fencer, sailor, mountaineer - before he turned seriously to writing. He published his first novel, The History of Danish Dreams, in 1988, and was called 'the foremost writer of his generation' by Information magazine. His crime novel Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow received universal acclaim and was an international bestseller. Martin Aitken (Translator) Martin Aitken's translations of Scandinavian literature number some 35 books. His work has appeared on the shortlists of the International DUBLIN Literary Award (2017) and the U.S. National Book Awards (2018), as well as the 2021 International Booker Prize. He received the PEN America Translation Prize in 2019.