Michael Bernard Fitzgerald on the true story of a boy and his elephant

Michael Bernard Fitzgerald — or MBF, as he's sometimes known — is a musician from Calgary who loves to tour. He's a nominee for Breakout Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards this October. Below, he tells The Next Chapter about a recent read he enjoyed.

I just finished reading Modoc by Ralph Helfer. The book is about a boy and his elephant. They were born at the same time in Germany. His father worked at the circus, and the book details the true story of the life the two lead together. They parted at times, but they were brought back together almost magically, and they survive through everything and end up in a circus in America until the elephant retired, and so did his trainer and best friend. The book spans seven decades and three continents, and it ends in 1940s New York City.

I was drawn to the book because I love dogs, I love animals, and I love when it's a fun story and it's true too. It just makes it different to think about when you can kind of relate it to the real world.

Michael Bernard Fitzgerald's comments have been edited and condensed.