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Soul of the Elephant

(The Kind Mahout #1)

Pam Laughlin (Goodreads Author)

4.60 · Rating details · 5 ratings · 4 reviews

When fifteen-year-old Hemit breaks family tradition by learning the mysterious soother's gentler ways of training elephants, he unleashes his own mystical powers—powers his parents have tried to conceal, and which are capable of destroying his entire family.

South India, 1870s. At the family elephant camp, Hemit's father insists on quashing their elephants' spirits to gain ...more

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Kindle Edition, 266 pages

Published May 6th 2019 by Evolved Publishing LLC

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Oct 07, 2019 Jenni Sinclaire rated it it was amazing

Soul of the Elephant is a beautiful story that takes place in a stunning and unique setting - the jungles of southern India in the 19th century. Hemit is a young man learning his family's business of rearing and training elephants. Soft-hearted yet strong-willed, Hemit is a highly relatable protagonist.

A central theme of the book is Hemit's extremely complicated relationship with his father. Hemit defies his father's ways by learning to train elephants using compassion rather than domination. T ...more

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Aug 20, 2019 Gifford MacShane rated it it was amazing

In the first book of The Kind Mahout Series, entitled Soul of the Elephant, we are introduced to Hemit, a boy who lives during the British occupation of India. Hemit is rapidly approaching the age when he will choose his own elephant, and is at odds with his father over their training—Hemit believes that kindness will get better results than cruelty. While his father clings to the old ways, Hemit finds a kindred soul in the form of a mysterious hermit called The Husher who, with a mystical proce In the first book of The Kind Mahout Series, entitled Soul of the Elephant, we are introduced to Hemit, a boy who lives during the British occupation of India. Hemit is rapidly approaching the age when he will choose his own elephant, and is at odds with his father over their training—Hemit believes that kindness will get better results than cruelty. While his father clings to the old ways, Hemit finds a kindred soul in the form of a mysterious hermit called The Husher who, with a mystical process, can reach the soul of the elephant.

Whether Hemit can keep his forbidden relationship with The Husher secret and be able to convince his father to change his ways are the central conflicts of the story.

There are many fascinating aspects to this book, including the customs and food of a people with whom I was not acquainted before. There are lush descriptions of the scenery and tantalizing depictions of their meals, as well as in-depth portrayals of the social caste system and the hunting process (the duck hunt especially intrigued me).

But in spite of, or perhaps because of, the simplicity of Hemit’s life, there’s a sense of imminent danger throughout. Nature sends lightning, rainstorms and floods; the British bureaucrats are both overbearing and condescending; and the elephants themselves can pose significant risks. And all that is not to mention the tiger that preys on the villagers.

If there’s a negative to this book, it’s that some appealing minor characters appear here and there, but don’t have a significant role to play in the narrative. I’m hoping these characters have more to tell us as the series continues.

I recommend this book for its smooth writing and excellent imagery, as well as the sheer depth of knowledge it displays. I enjoyed every page of it and look forward to the next books.

Note: From time to time I am asked, or volunteer, to write a review of a novel by another author. Please be assured that the views expressed will be entirely my own and will be based on the book itself and nothing else. I was provided with a copy of this book by the author, with the provision that I write an honest review.
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Aug 24, 2019 Elaine rated it really liked it

This is an enjoyable young adult novel set in a small jungle village in British Colonial India. The story centers around 15-year-old Hemet and his family, mahouts, who train elephants. Hemet wants to connect with the elephants on a spiritual level and forego any violence in the training. It's a tale with lots of action, including encounters with elephants, tigers, monkeys, mongoose, and more, with a touch of magical realism. I learned a lot of interesting things about Indian gods and customs. A ...more

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Aug 23, 2019 Tina rated it it was amazing

This is a captivating read. The storyline follows a young boy whose family raises elephants. I loved how the personal side of the story drew you in and then all the fascinating aspects of life in India from the food, interpersonal relationships, culture were weaved throughout the storyline.

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About Pam Laughlin

Pam Laughlin

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Pam Laughlin is the author of Soul of the Elephant, the first book in the Kind Mahout series. She is a former technical writer and reporter who has written non-fiction for more than thirty years.

Her short stories have appeared in Folio Oak Literary Magazine, Edify Publications and Blink Ink. Her short story, Combat Paper, won the short story contest in Writer’s Village University. Soul of the Ele ...more