Memoir
Rupa & Co.
July 10th, 2017
Paperback
260
A debut book, and also a debut memoir by any Dalit author from India! A book which permeates hope and positivity among the readers and the author makes a successful impact with her very first attempt at writing!
Shilpa Raj has stormed into the world of Indian writing with her very debut book entitled The Elephant Chaser’s Daughter which, unlike most other debuts, is a memoir but it has created an impact upon the readers so much so that the praises for Shilpa’s writings have been pouring in even before the formal launch of the book in Indian as well as in other country’s book markets. The book is based on Shilpa Raj’s personal experiences since her childhood coming to the present times. However, with her sheer artistry and capability of rendering her personal experiences into some kind of universally appealing story, Shilpa has made a cheerful impact on the readers and The Elephant Chaser’s Daughter is being read, by most of the readers, as a book of hope and sunshine!
A close reading of the text, as also reported by many of the book critics who read this book, reveals that there is a kind of urgency in Shilpa’s writing. She wants the world to witness what has been witnessed by her and is being witnessed by so many children like here – a world without opportunity and a world without the light of hope! After her inclusion in the Shanti Bhavan program, Shilpa’s life takes a dramatic and positive turn and she begins to experience what it feels like being among the mainstream society, getting better food, getting a quality education and getting the opportunity to dream to become something special in the future! And all this has been recorded in her debut memoir.
Most of the readers who have shown the audacity to review the book on different channels like Goodreads, Amazon and other websites have praised the work done by Shilpa Raj and have shown their hopes with the author and her future. Shilpa has raised many other issues which the authors often ignore or just hesitate to portray in their books because of so many issues. However, Shilpa has frankly told her readers what it is being born in a family which is considered marginalised and side-lined in Indian society. She has also raised vital points like feminism and individual identity in a married union. The book is serious and you can say easily that The Elephant Chaser’s Daughter deserves all the praise that it’s getting from Indian readers and readers across the world!
My personal experience with the book was fantastic and I read it in two days. It has a grip on the readers and event not being a fiction, the narrative employed by the author is so touching. The communication between the readers and the author is direct and it makes an impact…
Shilpa’s further plans as a writer have been revealed in so many of the author interviews that she has done for different platforms. You can explore more about the author and her book and get the links to purchase on her official website:
