The Elephant Chaser's Daughter on Goodreads
BOOK SUMMARY:
Saved by her grandmother from being killed at birth for having been born a female, Shilpa’s life took many unexpected turns and twists through her early years. She faced abandonment by her mother, the formidable constraints placed on her by her family, and the barbs of village elders bound by hundreds of years of oppressive practices and customs that subjugate women. Shilpa is torn between the contrasting lives she leads: one of servitude and injustice experienced by her family; the other of opportunity and empowerment offered by a good education in a school started by a philanthropist.
Just when all seems settled, an unforeseen death under mysterious circumstances shatters whatever stability remains in her life. Pulled in opposite directions, and torn between despair and dreams, Shilpa finally makes a choice for her future. Is she strong enough to stand up to the people she loves, and pursue what she wants?
At its heart The Elephant Chaser’s Daughter is about hope, when all seems lost. Written with raw honesty and grit, this is a deeply moving memoir of a young girl confronting her ‘untouchable’ status in a caste-based society, and her aspirations for modernity.
BOOK SUMMARY:
Saved by her grandmother from being killed at birth for having been born a female, Shilpa’s life took many unexpected turns and twists through her early years. She faced abandonment by her mother, the formidable constraints placed on her by her family, and the barbs of village elders bound by hundreds of years of oppressive practices and customs that subjugate women. Shilpa is torn between the contrasting lives she leads: one of servitude and injustice experienced by her family; the other of opportunity and empowerment offered by a good education in a school started by a philanthropist.
Just when all seems settled, an unforeseen death under mysterious circumstances shatters whatever stability remains in her life. Pulled in opposite directions, and torn between despair and dreams, Shilpa finally makes a choice for her future. Is she strong enough to stand up to the people she loves, and pursue what she wants?
At its heart The Elephant Chaser’s Daughter is about hope, when all seems lost. Written with raw honesty and grit, this is a deeply moving memoir of a young girl confronting her ‘untouchable’ status in a caste-based society, and her aspirations for modernity.
Release date: July 10th 2017
Published by: Rupa Publications India
Page numbers: 260
REVIEW:
The reasons I decided to pick up The Elephant Chaser's Daughter are the simple facts that it's the story of a village girl and it's the real story of the author. Without even knowing her, I'm able to say that Shilpa Raj is a very brave woman for sharing her story, which she has penned down in a manner so interesting that I wish she never stops writing. I want to know more about her life.
Any book set in rural India piques my curiosity because the condition and situation of women in Indian villages is a topic I've been interested in since a few years now. Set in Thattaguppe, Kerala, The Elephant Chaser's Daughter is about Shilpa, her family, her village and the one institute that saves her life- Shanti Bhavan, a school started by an American that takes village children into its arms and gives them wings to fly.
Shilpa's family and alma mater were two points that help make her into who she becomes. Shilpa is truly someone to admire and respect for whatever she has been through. I found it so difficult to even imagine some of the stuff that happens in her village. But the girl's courage, determination and strength make her stand on her own two feet. I really liked how Shilpa was, because her story was so real and raw that it's hard not to relate to her at some point or the other.
This book is so well done and so emotionally piercing that it just makes for a very great read. A true memoir of the author's life as a child stepping into adulthood with ups and downs, The Elephant Chaser's Daughter is one brilliant book that talks about the life of people in Indian villages with a focus on women, family and the kindness of strangers. But above all, this book is the voice of the voiceless.
*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Rupa Publications in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.
Buy the book: AMAZON/ FLIPKART
True story, so for i have read only a romantic or friendship story as true incident. But with this book summary i think it's a different pick and bold story.
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