Fredrick Hodges

Rick Hodges (Col ’87) published his first novel, To Follow Elephants, in 2019. He will appear at the Virginia Festival of the Book on March 20, 2020, at New Dominion Bookshop in Charlottesville. To Follow Elephants tells the story of an African woman and elephant researcher who helps a young American learn why his father is imprisoned in a dusty cell in Kenya. The book, praised as “a stunning debut novel that weaves the lives of wild elephants and people in a truly breathtaking journey,” brings readers into the elephants’ world—their thoughts, beliefs and religion. Equal parts thriller, adventure and moving portrayal of elephant civilization from the creatures’ point of view, To Follow Elephants occupies the intersection between the worlds of people and animals, enriching our understanding of what it means to be human.