The Forty Elephants
- Author Erin Bledsoe
- Narrator Hannah Curtis
- Publisher Blackstone Publishing
- Publish Date 1 January 1970
- Run Time 11 hours and 55 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Adventure fiction, Crime and mystery fiction, Feminism and feminist theory, Fiction: general and literary, Historical fiction, Society and Social Sciences.
Click to open directly in the xigxag app.
Flexible Pricing & Rewards For Listening
At xigxag, the more you read, the less you pay* on select audiobook and x-book® titles, as in the table below. Pricing updates automatically in the app and resets one year after your first purchase. And you can always find a selection of brilliant titles available for only $7.95.
*Only the full price titles you buy count toward your personal pricing tier. Full price titles don’t include Listen for Less or other books bought with a voucher or discount code.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price p/Title
- $13.95
- $12.95
- $11.95
- $10.95
- $9.95
Listen to a sample
What to expect
Peaky Blinders meets Ocean’s 8 in The Forty Elephants, an epic novel set in Roaring Twenties London, based on the real-life, all-female gang of the same name who specialized in crime as high art, targeting posh department stores and elites.
London in the 1920s is no place for a woman with a mind of her own. Gang wars, violence, and an unforgiving world have left pickpocket Alice Diamond scrambling to survive in The Mint, the gritty neighborhood her family has run for generations. When her father goes to jail yet again and her scam artist brother finds himself in debt to the dangerous McDonald crime syndicate, Alice takes over. Fighting for power at every turn, she struggles to protect her father’s territory and keep the people she loves safe from some of London’s most dangerous criminals.
Recruited by the enigmatic Mary Carr, Alice boldly chooses to break her father’s edict against gangs and become part of a group of notorious lady shoplifters, the Forty Elephants. Leaving The Mint behind, she and the other girls steal from the area’s poshest department stores, and for the first time in her life, Alice Diamond tastes success. But it’s not long before she wants more—no matter the cost. And when her past and present collide, there’s no escaping the girl from The Mint.
Book discussion questions are available here: https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/www.blackstoneaudio.com/docs/The%20Forty%20Elephants%20Discussion%20Questions.pdf
Critics Review
“Forget the gangster and his moll; in the world of The Forty Elephants, it’s the women wielding the weapons and the power. Erin Bledsoe brings the gritty underworld of 1920s London to life with the true story of Alice Diamond and her band of female thieves, showing the triumphs and the tolls of a life of crime. If you ever wished Boardwalk Empire had stronger women—and British accents—this is the book for you!”
“From the underworld of London to high-stakes heists in the city’s most glamorous shops, Erin Bledsoe weaves a mesmerizing spell of a novel around women in the 1920s taking back their power, with style and verve. You’ll fall head over heels with her tale of theft, hope, revenge, and daring, and with her ladies of the Forty Elephants.”
“So compulsively readable, the pages seem to whizz past by themselves.”
“A gritty exploration of the story behind one of England’s most infamous gangs and its leader, Alice Diamond. The Forty Elephants were clever, successful, and all-female—a ring of thieves so polished they appeared unstoppable. Bledsoe’s debut novel brims with verve, bringing to life the intricate cobweb of criminal relationships comprising London’s 1920s underbelly, deftly taking the reader along on Alice’s harrowing, and ultimately triumphant, journey to the top.”
“[An] impressive debut…Fans of intelligent historical fiction will be eager to see what Bledsoe does next.”
“Bledsoe has spun a fascinating novel about crime in 1920s England, which is based on real people…The book delighted me. Alice is a sharp-edged heroine who can hold her own, and the secondary characters all felt alive and vibrant…This story is electric, and I wanted nothing more than what it offered.”
“Alice is a protagonist with her fair share of vices, but readers will find themselves rooting for her from the edge of their seats, waiting to see if she and her friends can pull off their biggest job yet.”
“On the very first page, I was transported to the gritty and dangerous streets of 1920s London. Fierce protector of her family and her turf, Alice Diamond is one tough broad, made even more intimidating when she joins forces with a band of female pickpockets. Fans of first-rate historical fiction will love this book.”
“The Forty Elephants is a dazzling read from start to finish. Despite her hard edges, Alice Diamond is an unforgettable heroine you can’t help but love. Full of unexpected twists and turns, her story will not only delight and surprise you but touch your heart as well. Bledsoe delivers with this rich and daring debut!”
“Alice’s story effectively explores themes of loyalty, crime, and the tug-of-war between dignity and survival that women struggled with in the 1920s…Readers will be pulled into the story and a world that is very different from our own—and in other ways, all too similar.”
“Get ready for a ride! The Forty Elephants is a riveting page-turner; I was hooked from page one. Bledsoe’s dialogue shimmers, and her description of 1920s London is spot-on. Swiftly paced with an unique plot, this book was unputdownable. Highly recommended!”
“If you have a weakness for lawless female characters, as I do, then this is the book for you. The Forty Elephants was my first beach read of the season, and I got a sunburn because I was so engrossed…The book is written in a terse, hard-boiled style that suits the story perfectly. The tension is nonstop, and, while you might not want to have Alice over to your house for tea, you would surely want her at your side in a battle.”
More from the same
Author
Narrator
About xigxag
Experience the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed for seamless discovery, purchase, and enjoyment of your favorite titles. Our flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less, providing affordable prices and the best audiobook deals without requiring a subscription. Perfect for gifting, xigxag also features convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.
Beyond the listening experience, xigxag stands as an exciting alternative to big tech, embodying a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we ensure a guilt-free listening experience from a leader in audiobook innovation.
Effortlessly search audiobooks, access honest audiobook reviews that evaluate both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. Whether you prefer to download or stream top audiobook titles, xigxag provides the best possible listening experience anytime, anywhere, on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Discover the future of audiobooks today.