The Elephant Chaser's Daughter

De: Shilpa Raj

Narrado por: 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

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.

The extraordinary memoir of a brave woman from the “untouchable” caste

The heroic, thought provoking memoirs of Shilpa Raj labeled and “untouchable” in her Indian culture. Full of inspiration even through the most troubling events of the author’s life it speaks to the struggles and plight of many children trapped in poverty and hopeless despair. Ms. Raj’s ability to capture in her recollection her transformation as a long time student at Shanti Bhavan, a school that rescues and educates thousands of children in Tamil Nadu, 1.5 hours southeast of Bangalore, India. I look forward to reading much more from Shilpa Raj who has a voice in her writing and a powerful life mission to impart to the world

must read- great book! loved it

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

A triumphant story!

I enjoyed this book immensely! After watching the Netflix series, Daughters of Destiny, I learned about this book and decided to give it a try.It was extremely well written and kept me interested from beginning to end. If Shilpa Raj writes any more books, I will be reading them! I highly recommend it!

A Sad - Hopeful Story

I saw the movie first which motivated me to get this book. The book fills in a lot more of the background that the movie cannot. I learned a lot. Most of which is the how the conditions in a country that has a cast system whether cultural or economic hurts everyone.

Beautifully written!

Shilpa’s story introduced me to a world I knew nothing about. She expertly describes her feelings, environment, struggles in a life fractured by being selected to attend a special school for the extremely poor. I could feel her pain and joy and wish her well on this journey we call life.

What a wonderful and inspiring memoir

Beautifully written, such an inspiring story! Thank you very much Shilpa for being who you are and representing what you represent. I recommend those who still don't do it to support Shanti Bhavan. I went there in person and I can confirm its a wonderful place!

Well written!

Fantastic and very moving. it kept my interest all the time. Perfect read after watching her at the Netflix documentary

Elephant Chaser’s Daughter - insightful

I’d watched the Netflix documentary so I was interested in learning more about these girls. This book was incredibly well-written. It was thought-provoking and informative while keeping me yearning for more. I highly recommend this book and hope there’s a book two in the works.

amplifying a young woman's voice

I had watched a TV series featuring the residential school the author attended. it was very interesting to read about her experience there and how it impacted her family in addition to her. She brings up the many complexities facing villagers in Tamil Nadu with honesty and nuance.