Elephants with headlights by Bem Le Hunte
Transit Lounge, 2020. ISBN: 9781925760484. 304pp.
(Age: Adult) Highly recommended. When blonde Australian girl Mae
meets handsome Indian boy Neel on a beach in India, it is instant
romance, leading to a shared life together in Australia, only
returning to India for their special Indian wedding. But as Mae
steps foot in the family home, there is the inevitable clash of
cultures. For this reader, having once had an Indian mother-in-law,
the explosive scenes are all too familiar, and very funny. From what
she wears, to where she goes, to what she says, everything Mae does
is wrong, and Neel is caught in the middle of the battle of wills
between his mother and his future wife.
At the same time, another conflict brews between mother Tota and
daughter Savitri - for Savitri refuses to consider marriage
proposals from any of the suitors suggested for her. Finding a
husband for her is not a simple matter as she was born under a
cursed sign. But Savitri will have none of it and is intent on
making her own life.
India is revealed in all its complexities and chaos - from the
headlights for elephants in the traffic, to the contemplation of
driverless cars. And of course there is a mystical element, no book
about India could be without it - from the mathematical astrologer
to the 200 hundred year old guru who looks in his fifties. The
curses, the traditions, and the astrological charts all have their
place, and somehow infuse the modern world - and eventually people
do find love, fulfilment and understanding.
One of the nice things about this story, is the respect for the
grandmother or female elder in each family, Dadi in the Indian
family, and Dolly in the Australian family. Each of them is the wise
woman and peacemaker, the heart of the family. Mae and Savitri,
whilst very modern independent young women, each learn from their
beloved elder.
There is lots to like about this story. The characters are realistic
and familiar, the conflict of generations and cultures is told with
a subtle humour, and the mystical entwines with the modern in a
willing suspension of disbelief, leading to a heart-warming and
satisfying conclusion. Themes: India, Feminism, Destiny, Conflict,
Modern vs Traditional.
Helen Eddy