"It must be one of those special happenings that has a mystical meaning, Curpo, to have my son born on the same day, let alone the same hour, as the baby elephant."
Chap. 1, p. 5

"Josef never forgot what his father had told him. He knew in his heart that his father had trained Modoc, and he felt his great sadness in the pain of remembering. Josef's father never told him what happened to Modoc, but he believed that Emma's baby was one of those special elephants. Down deep, Josef believed Modoc's spirit still lived and was waiting to be reborn-to live again through Emma's baby."
Chap. 2, p. 12

"This was an important moment, a beginning, for she knew the boy would spend his life with animals, especially elephants, and the meeting was of the utmost importance. Neither the elephant nor the baby said a word. All was quiet as...