"THE ELEPHANT KEEPER," by Christopher Nicholson, William Morrow, 298 pages, $24.99

The ability to see elephants up-close in a zoo or in their native habitat on TV or in theme parks and reserves makes elephants seem a bit commonplace.

For us, they've always been around.

But in the 18th century, elephants were anything but commonplace. They were exotic beasts that conjured fear and fascination.

In "The Elephant Keeper," author Christopher Nicholson takes readers to a time and place far removed from our own, and on an adventure they soon won't forget.

Tom loves everything to do with horses. There's something about the warmth of the stables and the soft noses and intelligent eyes of the animals that strike a chord with him. He thinks of the horses as more than pets, he thinks of them as friends, giving them names and talking to them.

As a young boy of 2 or 3, Tom would follow his father to the estate of Mr. John Harrington, where he was the head groom. Working side by side with his father, Tom learns the trade quickly and, by the age of 12, becomes a groom in the stables at Harrington Hall in Somersetshire, England.

Tom is given the task of keeping Mr. Harrington's young son, Joshua, safe. On account of the friendship formed, Tom accompanies the family to their house in Bristol during the winter of 1765-66.

While in Bristol, a ship carrying exotic animals arrives. After months at sea, the animals are in poor shape. Many are already dead or near death. Inside two of the crates lowered from the ship are elephants, a male and female. Out of compassion and with an eye toward profit, Mr. Harrington purchases the poor beasts and puts Tom in charge of their care.

Little is known about elephants, so Tom must rely on his skills with horses — though some things don't translate well to elephants — and the notes of a man who had traveled extensively in the Indies.

Through considerable time and effort, Tom is able to bring the elephants back to health, and in the process, he also becomes friends with them, secretly naming them Timothy and Jenny.

The mere size of growing elephants makes them hard to care for, both in lodging and in food, and after a time, Mr. Harrington decides he can no longer care for them. The elephants are sold, and Tom leaves, too.

It is at Jenny and Tom's new home with Lord Bidborough, of Easton, in Sussex, that Tom is given the task of writing the history of the elephant. No one has ever written such a history before, and an account of its behavior, characteristics and intelligence would be of immense interest.