This is the kind of book you hold to your heart when finished, with a tear in your eye and a smile on your face. I love finding new authors and will definitely look for more by this author. So full of emotion; you could feel it all. I felt like I was amongst the people of Thailand and the elephants. And you will fall in love with Sophie. Loved it!!!

This is a 10 star novel!
A fascinating and extraordinary book written with great care and style.
This beautiful story is about a grieving mother who meets and loves an old, wounded elephant in an animal sanctuary.
Each chapter of this book begins with a beautiful quote from a well known person. Each quote being pertinent to that chapter that follows and worthy of our reflection.
The author tell us "Animals feel pain, sadness, and grief just like we do, but they know life goes on. They are not anxiety ridden." The greatest advice to ponder.
Can't say enough about the writing style and the plot. A beautiful book!

The Mourning Parade
Dawn Reno Langley

Imagine opening a door to find yourself immersed in the Thai landscape where you can see, smell, hear and touch a place so beautiful, it’s as if you’re walking through an intricate, jewel-toned tapestry. Langley weaves her magic to transport her readers to Thailand simply by turning the pages of her latest novel, The Mourning Parade.

I must admit that I was initially reluctant to read a book with the devastating premise of a mother losing her two sons to gun violence. I was concerned that I would not be able to handle it emotionally. If you’re having similar concerns, let me reassure you that this novel is a masterpiece that soothes the soul of the reader by taking us on a journey that uplifts the spirit and gives us hope by laying out human and animal redemption and resilience.

I look forward to re-reading the novel as I frequently do with others that deeply touch me

What a fabulous boo, The book has a great plot and I loved the characters. New to me author but I will be reading more of her books in the future.

Natalie lost both of her boys in a school shooting. A year later, she is just barely holding on. She is an equine veterinarian and agrees to go to Thailand to volunteer at an elephant sanctuary. There she meets Sophie the elephant. She has been physically abused by humans and trusts no one. Can Natalie and Sophie help each other heal? It is a wonderful heartfelt story of learning to trust and love again. Thank you to NetGalley and Amberjack Publishing for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This book Mourning Parade, by Dawn Reno Langley kept me captivated from the first page to the last. This is one of the best books I've read in a very long time. Beautiful story showing the emotional connections between man and beast. The scene is set in the beautiful mountainous jungles of Thailand where Natalie, the volunteer vet from North Carolina comes to the elephant sanctuary to heal from her own emotional wounds and while there finds and bonds with Sophie, the tortured elephant who can't get past the emotional and physical wounds of her own. The story is told from Natalie's point of view, and also in parts, told from Sophie's point of view. Very emotionally gripping, beautifully written, wonderful story of love, loss and healing. Very rarely does a story line grip me to the point of tears and the cheers for triumph as this book did for me!

This was a great story which embodied every emotion. The story mainly follows Natalie, an equine Veterinarian who has a huge need for a change in her life, after first having her husband walk out on her and her two boys, Steven and Danny and then later losing her two boys to a shooting at their middle school. Natalie cannot get over her loss and her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is getting worse by the moment, not helped by the barrage of question from the media after the shooting.
When Natalie hears of an opportunity to volunteer at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, owned by Andrew Gordon she jumps at the chance. Downsizing her practice and leaving it in good hands and packing up her house she signs up for a year at the sanctuary. She hopes working with the elephants will help her heal as well.
Once at the sanctuary, she works mainly with an elephant named Sophie, who is injured but has behavioral problems as well, she sees that this elephant has PTSD like she has and feels a bond. She has her work cut out for her as she seems to be the only one who thinks Sophie is worth saving.
There are so many wonderful characters in this book, and all with interesting tales to tell, but the main ones are Andrew the head of the sanctuary and already existing veterinarian, Peter Hatcher, who does not like Natalie from the start, Mali, Andrews Thai love. Each of these characters have interesting backgrounds and we will find out a lot about them in the story.
This was a fascinating story of what it takes to work with these wonderful animals, how both the humans and animals interact with each other, and the building of trust for each other.
There are many wonderful stories going on in this book, not necessarily to do with the elephants, and we also find some answers to some of the subjects brought up in the story. I do not want to give too much away as this is the story each reader needs to feel for themselves.
I could not stop reading this book, and want to thank both NetGalley and Amberjack Publishing for the opportunity.

Book Review: The Mourning Parade by Dawn Reno Langley

Natalie, a veterinarian, has lost everything. Her husband has left her, and her sons Stephen and Danny have died in a horrific school shooting. At a conference she listens to a speech by a man, Andrew, who runs an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. Reeling from the pain from her losses and from PTSD, she goes with him to volunteer at his sanctuary. She befriends and helps a damaged, suffering elephant named Sophie, (also with PTSD) who helps her deal with her grief, along side new friends.

"You know, one of the reason I started this sanctuary is because the best way to treat broken animals is with broken people. Each fixes the other."

So grab the tissues, I'll wait.

I sobbed openly throughout this book, which is unusual for me as this doesn't usually happen to me in novels. This was beautifully written. I could feel her crushing pain. Some parts are written for Sophie, the elephant's viewpoint, and I could feel her pain as well. I could feel the humid heat of the Thai air. I could hear the giggles of the children and the barking of the dogs.

The character are fully formed and well rounded. This book has a lot of heart. I can't recommend it enough. 5 stars.

Many thanks to Amberjack Publishing, NetGalley, and Dawn Reno Langley for a complimentary digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I feel guilty that I'm giving this a mere four stars because the plot twist at the end was so unexpected and tore my entire heart of my chest and I nearly added an extra star just for that.

But I can't really give it five stars because there were some relatively large aspects that bothered me, such as the one-dimensional personalities of the unlikable characters. It's as though the author wanted to try and make them as unlikable as possible at the expense of a more-rounded character.

But I really liked the main character, Natalie, and her relationship with Sophie the ailing elephant. I adore animals and stories about animals, and I thought the occasional segments from Sophie's point of view were an excellent idea that really added to the story. The paralleling of Natalie and Sophie's PTSD highlighted the elephant's emotional complexity and intelligence, which I think is important because a lot of people think animals aren't capable of feeling things as deeply as humans, when in reality elephants (and many other animals) are exceptionally clever beings who absolutely can suffer from things like PTSD just as humans can.

All in all, this was a great read!! I will keep an eye out for the author's other books!

If you are looking to escape to foreign climes - the interior of Thailand in this instance - and to lose yourself in a story that gradually shifts from loss to regeneration through the powers of different kinds of love, then Langley's latest novel will more than meet your expectations.

The Mourning Parade is the story of an American veterinarian, Natalie, who goes out to Thailand to work with elephants after suffering a great personal tragedy. Once there, Natalie is able to establish a close bond with an injured elephant named Sophie, and as the narrative unfolds the two of them both gradually find ways to deal with their traumatic pasts.

Langley is particularly good at evoking a sense of place in her novel - as you read you can really experience the changes in weather, the sounds of the jungle, the taste of the spicy Thai food, or enjoy the cooling effects of the water hole where the elephants romp in the afternoons. She was perhaps a little less convincing in her handling of plot - for this reader at least - which tended to be somewhat predictable despite a few surprises that finally take place in the closing chapters.

All in all The Mourning Parade is an enjoyable read that would be perfect to take on holiday, or as a way to escape from the more mundane issues that beset all of our lives.

This is a deeply moving story of a woman, trying to find a way to move on after the deaths of her two sons in a school shooting. A veterinarian, she signs on to spend a year at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. This story follows her as she learns about caring for the elephants, and for herself as she comes to grips with the reality of her life without her boys.

What an amazing book. I loved it, I didn't want it to end.
I love elephants so I was drawn to this book straight away by the description and the amazing front cover.
The story hooked me in from the very first page.
I loved the way the author described the settings, and how she led you into the story, going further and further.
Thank you NetGalley and Dawn Reno Langley for giving me the opportunity to read this fabulous story.

Part tragedy, part love story, partially a love of animals story, this beautifully told story delves into the heart of trauma, PTSD, recovering from life’s tragedies, learning to trust again, our families, loving even our imperfect selves, and our need to respect the lives of others, the beauty of nature and even a little political upheaval.

Dr. Natalie DeAngelo, an equine Veterinarian, has had more than her share of heartache in the past year, not long after her husband left, she loses her two boys through a shooting at their school. She can’t leave her house, shop at the grocery store without seeing the looks in people’s eyes, or the press hounding her. She can’t get past this when everywhere she goes, reminders surround her. The looks. The press. It’s no surprise that when she hears a request for Veterinarians willing to volunteer at an Elephant Sanctuary in Thailand, her heart tells her this may be her sanctuary, too.

”The doorknob felt cold and shimmied almost indiscernibly as the front door lock clicked. A definitive sound. Final. An ending. Natalie placed her right palm against the door and closed her eyes. Breathe, she told herself. Just breathe. Each sip of air required work. Thought. And though air meant life, breathing had become the hardest thing she’d ever done.”

Once she’s at the Sanctuary, it doesn’t take long before Natalie makes a connection with one elephant in particular, Sophie. Natalie sees the fear in her reactions, fear of the treatment she’s receiving. She sees her physical pain; she sees her emotional pain borne of fear. They are both survivors. Soon, she’s spending more time with Sophie, trying to get to the root of both her physical pain, and treat Sophie’s PTSD. “Physician, heal thyself” seems to apply, but it is a slow road that leads there. In focusing on Sophie’s PTSD, Natalie slowly finds herself smiling in Sophie’s company. A miracle, truly.

Elephants are such grand, noble creatures, capable of understanding so much and so little at the same time. They can’t really comprehend random acts of cruelty any more than we can. It is nothing short of magical when Natalie gives everything of herself to earn Sophie’s trust, and in turn, Sophie’s protective nature extends to Natalie, mothering her, trusting her, sensing their shared pain.

”She feels a strange maternal urge to care and protect the woman like she would her own calf, an urge she sees reflected in the woman’s eyes. She can practically smell the woman’s need to care for a child of her own.”

There’s so much I loved about this lovely story. There is so much compassion in each page written. So much love for so many, so much understanding.

I loved that each section had a quote that had me pause and think of how this applied to the story at that moment.

“To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else. -- Emily Dickinson

I loved the writing. The descriptions of the setting made it easy to feel and see it all, the characters, the animals, the sounds and smells, that physical sense of a storm brewing, the smells emerging as the rain begins.

I loved the sections that included Sophie’s thoughts, very much like reading her journal… very moving, they seemed so very real to me. These reminded me a bit of the brilliance employed in relaying Enzo’s thoughts in The Art of Racing in the Rain.

I loved how, and what, this book made me feel. Tears were shed, puddles from my heart melting over and over again.

A profoundly moving story about love: a mother’s love for their child, the connection of that love between all of God’s creatures, coping with loss, and the seemingly endless journey to healing – one step at a time.

My very sweet goodreads friend Karen sent me the nicest note about this book after she read it, because she knew I would love this, and for that, I am extremely grateful. Please check out Karen's lovely review at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Recommended

Pub Date: 18 Jul 2017

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Amberjack Publishing

THE MOURNING PARADE BY DAWN RENO LANGLEY

This was five star read for me and probably one of my all time life favorites. This book is so full of love. There is tragedy as well but I felt a stronger connection to Dr. Natalie DeAngelo and her love for the elephants especially Sophie. I was filled with the warm feeling of love while Natalie gave all of herself through a strong love, acceptance with the gentle care she provided for Sophie an elephant that had been formerly abused and was in a tremendous amount of physical and psychological pain.

Dawn Reno Langley you are an exceptional writer with the skills to help us connect to the great love we feel towards protecting the elephants. They feel so much like people to me. I love elephants and I feel such anger towards the poachers who kill these beautiful creatures just for the ivory tusks. It seems like they never get caught and it pains me that in their eyes they have no compassion for their deeds and taking a valuable life.

I really loved this book and it was so interesting. A real page turner for me I didn't want to stop reading. I loved Natalie's relationship with Sophie and how it made me feel. It just reinforces how powerful and special it is to care for an animal and how truly human they seem. I highly recommend this beautiful story to everybody. All readers will love and appreciate this book. This is the type of story that is unique in today's modern fiction. Thank you Dawn Reno Langley for writing such an incredible heart warming story.

Huge Thanks to Net Galley, Dawn Reno Langley and Amberjack publishing for providing me with my digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

"She clapped her hands and tried to speak, but every time she opened her mouth, all she could do was giggle. Finally, she managed, "I'm sorry, but if you could have seen your face..."
"Natalie thought, but Mali's laughter was contagious and exactly the remedy for the tension she'd been feeling".
Haven't we all experienced that contagious tension-relief laughter from a friend, maybe from our child? I had to pause with that except. I 'stopped' to remember a warm memory. I sincerely wish I could just hug Dawn Reno Langley. I'm just so grateful to her for this book. - my first reading experience with Dawn....and not the last!!!

I read this book slowly --- with the deepest love and appreciation for everything about it. I'd read a little -- then pulled the covers up over my body - snuggled in my bed - not sleeping - but letting my mind wander.....all in association with this beautiful story that brought me to real tears --- 'between' --- my reading sessions. I mournfully felt the universal sorrows of the world - the one's we've all experienced.....
......tragedy, sadness, heartache, grief, anger, regret, unhappiness, weepy, melancholy, etc.
Thankfully.....and profoundly....I also felt the universal bond of love....and forgiveness to the best of my ability.....
I was also very much in touch with the magnitude of "sharing the planet"....people and animals together!

In "The Mourning Parade", ....."one of the reasons Natalie had come to the sanctuary was because of their commitment to give some of those broken, blind, and dispirited elephants a chance to live the rest of their lives with comfort and dignity
they deserved. She had privately admitted to herself on the plane coming here that working to help animals in a country where no one knew her might help her heal".

Dr. Natalie D'Angelo is one of the brightest in equine surgery. She was trained in North Carolina..... A Fulbright scholar of North Carolina out of Raleigh.... One of the best programs in the state. After meeting Andrew Gordon, philanthropist at a veterinarian conference on behalf of the world's dwindling elephant population--Natalie knew the time was right, and made a spontaneous decision to travel to Thailand to work at Gordon's sanctuary.

**ANOTHER PAUSE: To my friends who live in North Carolina - I thought about you....
and friends & elephants who live in Thailand-- I thought about you!

There was a reason that Natalie committed to volunteer for year to work in Thailand with the elephants... and leave her home in North Carolina. A year before - her two sons, Steven and Danny, 12, and 14, were both killed in the Lakeview Middle School rampage.
The only person that Natalie shared her deepest feelings with about life and death was with her psychiatrist Sally Littlefield.
Suffering from posttraumatic stress, Dr. Littlefield suggested, that Natalie not make any big decisions until she got past that first anniversary. Many parents lost children that day -- violence so senseless-- so horrific- crazy-insane .....for everyone - but Natalie -well known respected veterinarian in the community, she was the only parent to lose two children. Her ex-husband, Parker, had been out of her life, and her boys lives for the past two years prior.

Once in Thailand- as much as Andrew Gordon was Natalie's allied --(he highly admired her qualifications- and what fool wouldn't?/!), well, there was a 'stick-in-the mud' grouchy resident vet who had been there for eight years named Dr. Peter Hatcher-- who wasn't happy about Natalie's arrival. Dr. Hatcher had been trained at the Royal Veterinary College. He remembered Natalie from many years ago. Natalie had been one of the final readers of his dissertation--( she was just doing her job), --and he got debunked. Other accusations were pointed at Natalie and Dr. Hatcher carried a grudge. So, not only would Dr. Peter Hatcher not be a colleague to enjoy a cup of tea with -it seemed as if he was on a mission to make her stay miserable.
And this is where Natalie came to offer her skills - volunteer for a year - and heal a few of her own wounds?
We hope......
This story only gets better and better --- it's JUST STARTING.......
You'll meet the community -the volunteers, adults, children, dogs, and the elephants!!! The sanctuary was founded in 1989.... 10,000 acres ---- a home for abused elephants- right on the Kwai river with a constant source of water supply.

When we first meet Sophie - an elephant that Natalie bonds with - both suffering from PTSD.....it breaks our hearts knowing that for a long time she has lived with a burning flame in her leg.....caused by men.
Much of the story will center around Sophie and Natalie--a beautiful story...
and other elephants, Ali, .. who was cute and reminded Natalie of Albert Einstein: "gray tuffs of wiry hair creating puffs around the tops of his ears". -great moments of chuckles! You meet Thaya, Pahpao, Apsara... and other elephants.

We also learn about the political turmoil between Bangkok and Thailand. One of the characters even shares of getting arrested in Bangkok an anti-government protest.
For some reason - I couldn't help but laugh -- I think because so much is going on - -and I loved these people - that it was another 'tension-relief' luv moment.

Throughout---Natalie will think about her two sons that she lost, which is natural. When Natalie would experience a bit of happiness and an outburst of love for another being..... I would feel such tenderness toward her. I, too, had and invested interest in watching how this mother might allow herself a little joy back into her life again. I have friends who have lost their children - 1 very close friend. I was reading and observing Natalie's thoughts - admiring her dedication. Through her work - we do see her begin to open her heart -- but my question lingered. Could she ever really forgive the monster who killed all those kids in the school - and her two children? And could she e even forgive Dr. Hatcher - when he 'was' a challenge to forgive (there is more to that story).....and is it possible forgiveness- true forgiveness is one of the hardest things for people to give freely?

As for the the elephants:
Elephants are endangered-- something that we should take 'seriously'. The fact that it takes the females 22 months to have a single baby is difficult when you're trying to increase the elephant populations.

PAGE TURNING STORYTELLING - but I paused to think often because this book really lived deeply in my heart. The second I saw this book I knew I wanted to read it. Now I wish for a physical copy too!
My first favorite elephant was named Effie. She lived at the Oakland Zoo. There are not many photos of me growing up --- but I do remember the photo of my dad - me - and Effie. I was 3 years old. I visited her many times again with my cousin's after my dad died -- a day/ picnic at the zoo... and my desire to see Effie. Who doesn't love a big fat elephant?/!!!!!!

Thank You Amberjack Publishing, Netgalley, and Dawn Reno Langley

School shootings have become all too common. The media will cover the tragedy for a while, but eventually some other crisis will surface to take its place. But what the public doesn’t get to see and can’t possibly comprehend is the effect a school shooting has on the family members left behind. Dawn Reno Langley’s book, “The Mourning Parade,” is a fictional account of one woman’s struggle with PTSD after losing both of her children in a school shooting.

A year after the deaths of her sons, Danny and Sean, Natalie De’Angelo is tormented by the reminders of her loss. Although she stays busy with her successful equine surgical practice, she just can’t keep her mind off the past. Her counselor has been encouraging her to move on with her life and find something new that will keep her mind occupied. While attending a veterinarians’ conference, she sits in on a lecture about an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. The speaker is pleading for monetary donations to keep the sanctuary running and veterinary assistance to care for mentally and physically abused elephants. Natalie feels compelled to pursue this clinical opportunity and is finally excited about something when she learns she is accepted into the program. In a few short weeks, she sells her home and belongings and moves across the world to work at the elephant sanctuary.

Upon her arrival in Thailand, she gets off to a rocky start. First, she must force herself to be more social to build relationships with co-workers in a new cultural setting. Then, she realizes there is much she doesn’t know about caring for these massive animals. To make matters worse, Dr. Peter Hatcher, the sanctuary’s resident veterinarian, is openly hostile to her. She is tempted to abandon the work and go back to North Carolina but ultimately decides to fulfill her one year commitment.

One of Natalie’s most challenging patients is a severely traumatized elephant named Sophie. Natalie recognizes that Sophie, like herself, is suffering from PTSD. Dr. Hatcher wants to euthanize Sophie, but Natalie takes on the elephant’s care as her own special project. Natalie and Sophie set out together on a journey of healing, but are Natalie’s efforts enough to make a difference in either of their lives?

This was a very emotional book to read as the writing was so vivid. As a mother, my heart broke for Natalie and the extreme loss she suffered. As someone who has rehabilitated physically and emotionally abused dogs, my heart also broke for the cruelty Sophie endured at the hands of man. Some parts of this book had me smiling and others had me sobbing. The unexpected and surprising twists worked together to create a very interesting and captivating story. I’m quite stingy when it comes to awarding a book five stars, but “The Mourning Parade” is worthy of that distinction. I truly loved this book and look forward to reading more from the author.

Thank you to Amberjack Publishing, NetGalley, and Dawn Reno Langley for a complimentary digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.