Soul of the Elephant

“Journey to the past of South India in the 1870s where the exotic locales and people permeate your senses... Soul of the Elephant is as mysterious as the secrets of Indian mystics, yet as real and profound as the plight of working elephants. This is a series worth rooting for.”

“Rather like the man-eating tiger (perhaps a man-tiger) who insidiously patrols the opening chapters of Pam Laughlin’s novel, Soul of the Elephant, this book excels at sneaking up on its reader, solely intent on devouring him whole. Which, piece by piece, chapter by chapter, increasingly ravenous, it does... Within an intensely engaging, dramatic, compelling narrative, choreographed meticulously well by Ms. Laughlin, many delicious morsels are provided for meditative savoring. These include the formidability of the natural world, how humans relate to their parental world (and each other, and their animal brothers), and, wondrously, how our relationship to spirit flavors each of these interactions. ...a well-told, truly captivating story.”

“Laughlin’s vividly descriptive prose took me out of the comfort of my home and hurled me smack-dab into the middle of Hemit’s village in South India, close to the Periyar river. I could smell the rich aroma of the sambar, dosa, and chutney that Hemit’s mother cooked for him. I could see him playing with his friends in the forest which reminded me of my childhood days playing the same games. Laughlin describes every elephant in Hemit’s family’s stable uniquely so that I could clearly distinguish between the lovely Jani, the sensitive Kari, and the motherly Maya. Soul of the Elephant breathes wilderness on every page. Further, Hemit’s transformation from a boy eager to please his father to a man who opposes his father’s strict ways of dealing with elephants is another major strength of this book. The supporting characters are also satisfyingly etched. Moreover, Laughlin needs to be applauded for the exhaustive research she has done to immerse the reader in nineteenth-century India. If you want to read a conventional coming-of-age story mixed with fantastical elements such as weretigers, mystical fakirs and a healthy dose of exotic wilderness, Soul of the Elephant by Pam Laughlin is the book for you.”

“This book will transport you to the exotic world of late nineteenth century India renderered in gorgeous detail. Although the setting is exotic, this story centers around the universal struggle of each generation to balance respect for family obligation and tradition while pursuing their own dreams. Young readers will identify with Hemit’s love of elephants and his mystical journey towards self actualization. Happy to hear that further adventures await in this series that deserves to be the next Harry Potter, if Potter was a teenage Indian boy!”