The Elephant Chaser's Daughter

By: Shilpa Raj

Narrated by: Deepti Gupta

The human drama captured in this memoir is nothing short of amazing - a young woman's struggle between the two worlds of her existence.

Saved by her grandmother from being killed at birth for being a female, and abandoned by her mother at a young age, Shilpa faces the formidable constraints placed on her by her family and the village elders.

The values with which she is being brought up in a school for poor children started by a philanthropist come in conflict with those of her family, tearing each other apart. 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 escape. But 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 woman confronting her "untouchable" status in a caste-based society, and her aspirations for a good future.

©2017 Shilpa Raj and George Foundation Inc., New Jersey (P)2018 Tantor

Loved The Story!

Still story will stay with me for a while. ❤️ I didn't realize it was a true story until I saw Shilpa's interview with Kelly Clarkson! The school is real! The

The best

Loved it. It’s a so-real and beautiful story about the life she had with her mother, father, and grandmother.

Inspiring story

The story is very well told. Shilpa's story is amazing: she sets the scene very well and describes her family and their issues in depth. However, I don't really care for the narrator. She does one voice for Shilpa, and one for all female characters, and one for all male characters (which is only slightly different from the female character voice). I prefer a single voice for everyone or recognizably different voices for all main characters, but that may just be my preference.

Emotional and beautifully written

I loved the honesty and peek into a different world and life. It was written incredibly well and gave me a clear understanding of what happened in her life.

must read- great book! loved it

I couldn't stop reading well listening. I love documentaries and this story is amazing!