It’s a huge undertaking. A rusty steamer with a whole herd of elephants in the cargo hold sets sail from Kolkata, bound for the Andaman Islands. Also on board are young Bellini, his family, and their working elephant Dalee. India has just gained independence, and the family is leaving everything behind to start a new life in the distant archipelago. None of them has any idea what awaits them there: impenetrable jungle, unpredictable former inmates of a British colonial prison, and a rich businessman who does not keep his promises. And in the midst of all this, Bellini must learn the time-honoured craft of the mahout, or elephant trainer. Dalee soon becomes his closest companion; the boy even rides through the sea on his back. But as he ages, the elephant becomes temperamental and dangerous. He seems to be losing his memory – a disaster for the family. People say an elephant never forgets – but what happens when he does?
In opulent, vivid prose, Dennis Gastmann tells the story of a new beginning in an unfamiliar place, of lifelong friendship and of saying goodbye. An extraordinary adventure inspired by a true story. A gorgeous adventure story which takes us to an exotic, faraway part of the world: the Andaman Islands, a remote archipelago in the middle of the Indian Ocean – and the only place in the world where people cross the sea on the backs of swimming elephants.
