{"product_id":"the-elephants-journey","title":"The Elephant's Journey","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA delightful, witty tale of friendship and adventure from prize-winning novelist José Saramago\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn 1551, King João III of Portugal gave Archduke Maximilian an unusual wedding present: an elephant named Solomon. In José Saramago's remarkable and imaginative retelling, Solomon and his keeper, Subhro, begin in dismal conditions, forgotten in a corner of the palace grounds. When it occurs to the king and queen that an elephant would be an appropriate wedding gift, everyone rushes to get them ready: Subhro is given two new suits of clothes and Solomon a long overdue scrub. Accompanied by the Archduke, his new wife, and the royal guard, these unlikely heroes traverse a continent riven by the Reformation and civil wars, witnessed along the way by scholars, historians, and wide-eyed ordinary people as they make their way through the storied cities of northern Italy; they brave the Alps and the terrifying Isarco and Brenner Passes; across the Mediterranean Sea and up the Inn River; and at last, toward their grand entry into the imperial city.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mariner Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51942897189095,"sku":"9780547574110","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0449\/4075\/5096\/files\/imageloader_ed4535e2-49db-44e5-b911-b9fb2fd7918f.jpg?v=1775271773","url":"https:\/\/arvidabookco.com\/products\/the-elephants-journey","provider":"Arvida Book Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}