The Wild Imaginings of Telma: Book 1

On the day the little elephant was born, the sun shone brightly, and birds sang in the trees. She was born on an elephant reserve, where many other elephants lived and were cared for by staff and volunteers from all over the world.

For a time, she stayed close to her mother, looking, listening, and taking in the world for the first time. Her mother, Uzuri, whose name means ‘beauty’ in Swahili, gently nudged her baby, encouraging her to stand. She tried but was unable.

She tipped over because she was born missing the lower half of her right leg and was small even for a newborn elephant. The staff at the reserve grew concerned and stepped in to help care for her. She did not have a name yet.

As the days passed, she was determined to survive. She ate as if she wanted to grow big and strong, always finishing her milk and searching for more. No matter how many times she fell, she never gave up trying to stand.

One day, a staff member at the reserve looked at her and said, ‘I will name you Telma.’ In Greek, Telma means ‘the will to overcome any obstacle,’ a name she would live up to. She was learning to walk, but she dreamed of running.

Denise White is a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. In 2024, she turned 60, a milestone that became the catalyst for pursuing her dream of becoming a published author. Determined to make it a reality, she revisited her notes and found a title she had written down the previous year. As soon as she rediscovered it, the words began to flow, and a book was born where none had existed before. She had originally written the title because it kept playing on repeat in her head, refusing to let her sleep. Once she put it down on paper, she finally slept peacefully through the night. The title remained forgotten for over a year until she came across it again, reigniting her passion for writing.