I was miserable in Africa, and yet this made me want to go back. It's a beautiful story about a remarkable girl born in Kenya, raised by missionary parents, who's then caught up in a scandal. The audiobook is excellently narrated. I super loved it. ( )

“They were all brilliant. They wrote books and painted pictures, and if they ever stopped talking, which I was sure they would never do, they planned to change the world.”
― Gloria Whelan, Listening for Lions

This is the second book I have read by Gloria Whelan. The first, Homeless Bird, was extraordinary. While Listening for Lions did not make it onto the list of my favorites, I still think it is a good read that many fans of Historical Fiction will enjoy.

The book is set in Africa, (at first). Rachel is a young girl and her parents run a hospital where they treat people with influenza. Tragically, Rachel's parents both wind up catching it and they do not survive, leaving Rachel on her own.

Rachel becomes enmeshed in a scheme by her evil neighbors who temporarily assume charge of her, through lies and deceit.

To tell you the truth, that is just the surface of the book. I do not want to say to much but what this book is really about is Rachel's journey as she comes into herself and develops her own identity encountering many obstacles along the way as well as much love found in the most surprising places. (Not romantic love..(this book has no romance in it).

What I liked best about this book is what I adored about Homeless Bird. The vivid descriptions of Africa were stunning, particularly the animal descriptions. Whelan's books, at times, read almost like poetry. Animals seem to play a big role in her writings and in Lions, you will meet birds and wild ponies and hear Rachel talk of her love for Lions. The sense of atmosphere is so compelling and in my review of Homeless Bird I had said the Prose glows. Well, it does in Listening for Lions as well. She is such a beautiful writer.

And once again, the theme is independence. Rachel wants to be a doctor and heal people and she will not let much stand in her way. I so like that Whelan writes strong protagonists. Her young women are Free Spirited and unbound by Society's norms and expectations. That, along with her beautiful and descriptive prose, make Whelan's books so interesting to read.

The negatives have nothing to do with the book. I just wasn't quite in the mood to read about Influenza. Especially not with Covid 19 being so prevalent. I have already gone through some depression due to our present circumstances so I will tell people there is much focus on disease and for me, I had to skim much of that. I think had my mood been different I would have focused on those scenes more (maybe) but just was not in the mood.

As others mention , it does lose power toward the end. I fell in love with Grandfather with his twinkling eyes and fun bird loving nature bu I think the book could have ended at the point the evil neighbors scheme was discovered.

So..for fans of Historical Fiction I can't recommend this book enough. If you have never read Whelan, you might want to start with Homeless Bird which is just amazing but I plan to work my way through all her books. A strong four stars from me for Listening for Lions. ( )

Rachel Sheridan’s missionary parents succumb to the Spanish influenza pandemic in early 20th century East Africa. She’s taken in by neighbors with less-than-charitable motives and finds herself far from the only home she’s ever known in chilly, damp England. But Rachel’s honesty, courage and pluck will see her far, and she vows that she will return to Africa and rebuild the mission hospital her parents founded.

This is a lovely YA / middle-school-grade novel with some important lessons about doing what is right, and honoring your parents and elders. Rachel is a worthy heroine; she’s intelligent, principled, compassionate and a hard worker. I love the way that she interacts with others and considers the possible effects of her words and actions before moving forward. She shows courage when it’s most important, and a fierce determination to honor her promises. ( )

I liked this, but the ending was strangely abrupt, like the author just kind of gave up because she didn't know how to end it. She just filled it with a bunch of unopened questions and then was like, "Oh, but don't worry, I'll figure it all out." Bizarre ending to an otherwise pretty strong story. ( )

Young Rachel Sheridan is made to leave her beloved Africa for England, where she must pose as the deceased daughter of a nefarious couple in an effort to gain them an enormous inheritance. Her irrepressible spirit and extraordinary wit turn her from victim to heroine in a surprising and empowering tale of a remarkable young woman. ( )