Papa explains the war like this: ‘When the elephants dance, the chickens must be careful.’ The great beasts, as they circle one another, shaking the trees and trumpeting loudly, are the Amerikanos and the Japanese as they fight. And our Philippine Islands? We are the small chickens.

Set in the waning days of World War II, When the Elephants Dance introduces us to the incandescent voice of Tess Uriza Holthe, who sets her remarkable first novel during the fierce battle for possession of the Philippine Islands. The Karangalan family and their neighbors huddle for survival in the cellar of a house a few miles from Manila. Outside the safety of their little refuge, the war rages on—fiery bombs torch the beautiful Filipino countryside, Japanese soldiers round up and interrogate innocent people, and from the hills, guerillas wage a desperate campaign against the enemy.

Inside the cellar, these men, women, and children put their hopes and dreams on hold as they wait out the war, only emerging to look for food, water, and medicine. Through the eyes of three narrators, thirteen-year-old Alejandro Karangalan, his spirited older sister Isabelle, and Domingo, a passionate guerilla commander, we see how ordinary people must learn to live in the midst of extraordinary uncertainty, finding hope for survival where none seems to exist.

Crowded together in the cellar, the Karangalans and their friends tell magical stories to one another based on Filipino myth and legend to fuel their courage, pass the time, and teach important lessons. These profoundly moving stories transport the listeners from the chaos of the war around them and give them new resolve to fight on.

This stunning debut novel is a loving tribute to the magical realism that infuses Filipino culture, celebrating with richness and depth the spirit of the Filipino people and their fascinating story.