Listening for Lions

Rachel Sheridan is the daughter of missionaries. She was born in Africa, and she loves it there. When both of her parents die in the 1919 influenza epidemic, Rachel falls into the clutches of a scheming family who have just lost their own daughter. Rachel will take that daughter's place on a voyage to England, to visit the dead girl's grandfather and get into his good graces. Rachel is hesitant to take part in the scheme, but her only other option is being sent to the orphanage her own parents grew up in. Rachel resolves to tell the truth anyway, but then she meets the ailing old gentleman, whose health is so frail that she fears the startling news of his granddaughter's death and his son's duplicity in sending Rachel could have show more disastrous consequences. As she remains with him, Rachel grows fond of the old gentleman, and begins to love him as she would her own grandfather. Will she ever be able to tell him the truth? And will she ever be able to return to her beloved Africa?

I greatly enjoyed listening to this audiobook. It's well written (my favorite so far of the Gloria Whelan books I have read) and well-narrated by Bianca Amato. I would recommend it to fans of historical fiction and children's classics. show less

“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 show more 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. show less

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 show more words and actions before moving forward. She shows courage when it’s most important, and a fierce determination to honor her promises. show less

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.

Gloria Whelan never fails to entrance and inform. Rachel is a strong character with much to say to teens today regarding perseverance and following one's dreams. I'm not quite sure why, but I enjoyed Books Two and Three more than Book One. Book One was mostly about her parents' missionary work and the others were more about Rachel. My favorite parts were Rachel's descriptions of the flora and fauna in both Africa and England, and also her passion for Africa. I understand passion for place as I have it for my home on Lopez Island and for Ireland and Scotland. Listening for Lions is well-worth reading.

So engaging that I read it in one short evening. I know I've claimed to be burnt out on MG HF, but the setting, just after WWI, in Kenya and then a forested preserve in England, was fresh, so I decided to try this. So glad I did. Only just now am I realizing that the author also wrote [b:Angel on the Square|541844|Angel on the Square (Angel on the Square, #1)|Gloria Whelan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348921066s/541844.jpg|529199] which I enjoyed.

I'm sure other reviewers of this deservedly well-received book can do a better job than I of telling you why you should add it to your to-read list. All I'll add here is that I now know the author's name and will look for more by her.

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.