Born into a family of mahouts (elephant trainers), Hemit dreams of getting his elephant in the cattle fair next year. He is a gentle soul and understands animals in a way that no one can. He believes the relationship between a mahout and his elephant should be based on trust, love, and respect. However, his father uses harsh ways to dominate his elephant. Unable to withstand any more ill-treatment towards the pachyderms in the family stable, he takes a stand against his father. Hemit’s yearning to understand the elephants better leads him to a mystical fakir, whom everyone believes is an evil sorcerer. But Hemit sees otherwise and accepts the fakir’s help to learn how to communicate with his beloved elephant. Will Hemit succeed in convincing his father that love and respect are the only ways to gain an animal’s trust? With his new-found learning, can Hemit win Aasha’s (an abused elephant) trust? Read Soul of the Elephant by Pam Laughlin to find out.

Laughlin’s vividly descriptive prose took me out of the comfort of my home and hurled me smack-dab into the middle of Hemit’s village in South India, close to the Periyar river. I could smell the rich aroma of the sambar, dosa, and chutney that Hemit’s mother cooked for him. I could see him playing with his friends in the forest which reminded me of my childhood days playing the same games. Laughlin describes every elephant in Hemit’s family’s stable uniquely so that I could clearly distinguish between the lovely Jani, the sensitive Kari, and the motherly Maya. Soul of the Elephant breathes wilderness on every page. Further, Hemit’s transformation from a boy eager to please his father to a man who opposes his father’s strict ways of dealing with elephants is another major strength of this book. The supporting characters are also satisfyingly etched. Moreover, Laughlin needs to be applauded for the exhaustive research she has done to immerse the reader in nineteenth-century India. If you want to read a conventional coming-of-age story mixed with fantastical elements such as weretigers, mystical fakirs and a healthy dose of exotic wilderness, Soul of the Elephant by Pam Laughlin is the book for you.

Soul of the Elephant is the first installment in Pam Laughlin’s The Kind Mahout Series, and it creates a lasting impression. Journey to the past of South India in the 1870s where the exotic locales and people permeate your senses. At the center of this panorama is Hemit, a fifteen-year-old mahout in training. Becoming a mahout is a lifelong profession that begins early in life and is bound in strict adherence to rules. Hemit breaks the mold by questioning inhumane elephant-keeping practices and renounces family tradition. Against the behest of his own parents, he seeks out the tutelage of a mysterious elephant-whisperer reputed to possess mystical powers. Under the guidance of this mystic, Hemit unleashes his hidden power and brings healing but becomes misunderstood. With his father as his greatest obstacle, love and understanding will be tested to their limits.

Pam Laughlin’s story has the country of a younger India as her background. It is one of the places in the world with a rich and varied life that provides great material for the writer. She narrates fiction with the backdrop of fact-checked events, her characters compounded of a blood ancestry segregated by an oppressive caste system. Few outsiders can hope to paint the whole of this colorful, contrasting, clashing, and evolving human culture in which Laughlin has immersed herself. Soul of the Elephant is as mysterious as the secrets of Indian mystics, yet as real and profound as the plight of working elephants. This is a series worth rooting for.

This book will transport you to the exotic world of late nineteenth century India rendered in gorgeous detail. Although the setting is exotic, this story centers around the universal struggle of each generation to balance respect for family obligation and tradition while pursuing their own dreams. Young readers will identify with Hemit’s love of elephants and his mystical journey towards self actualization. Happy to hear that further adventures await in this series that deserves to be the next Harry Potter, if Potter was a teenage Indian boy!

Impressive amount of research went in to this book in order to put the reader back in time during the colonial occupation of India. The story is timeless....the struggle of a young boy to live up to his father's expectations while trying to forge his own path and follow his own instincts. Highly recommend this as a summer read for all ages!

It was a really good read. I was nervous at first when I bought it because I don't usually read historical fiction. But it turned out to be a really interesting and entertaining book that I really encourage people to read.

I loved taking this journey back to this place and time. The story was suspenseful, magical, emotional and filled with kindness. A great read that is well written. I highly recommend this book and I am looking forward to reading book 2.

great book! I read a lot of books in my day and I stumbled across this book. Very good a drawing in your attention.

good read nice characters

i really liked the book

This book will transport you to exotic India in the mid 1800s, and introduce you to wonderful characters you'll never forget - a truly enjoyable and entertaining adventure.