Elephants with Headlights
In the tradition of Bem Le Hunte’s acclaimed novels, The Seduction of Silence and There, Where the Pepper Grows, this book is a spiritual and emotional journey like no other—a richly realised and hugely entertaining story that straddles cultures, continents and generations.
Part of the An encounter with Elephants with Headlights is a collision between east and west, modernity and tradition—between driverless cars and ancient lore—and a world that needs revolutionary reappraisal. In this world, Savitri, named after a Goddess, refuses outright to marry anyone. Her brother, Neel is intent on marrying an Australian girl called Mae, much to the displeasure of their mother, Tota, and father, Siddarth. But do they have the power to command love or destiny? Only the family astrologer, Arunji, knows, yet his truth is tempered by obligations to the family that transformed his life.
Characters who we come to love and care for, teeter on the brink of a radically altered future, leaving questions in their wake. What is the generative legacy of tradition? Can spiritual values survive amidst personal challenges, the tragedy of a death foretold, and the momentous changes of our times? A warm and engaging novel touched with love, wisdom and soulfulness, Elephants with Headlights is a breathtaking story for the threshold era we all navigate.
Praise for Elephants with Headlights
“This is a tale of two families, told with a light-heartedness and a dusting of magical realism that belie the weighty issues with which the novel deals”
“She snares pretensions, pins pomposity, and revels in exposing all manner of prejudice. Le Hunte is quite civil with her characters but sees through every one of them.
Femininity, love and spirituality are treated with due gravity. Scenes on a marriage bed and a death bed are handled with particular grace.”
“In a book that questions class, poverty, race, tradition and culture, a memorable cast of characters with conflicting views pulls the reader from one stance to another, as we try to make sense of what is right and wrong, what is destined and what is happenstance, what is real and what is imagined.”
“Breathtaking from the first page, this warm tale will keep you reading through the night.”
“ Truly, ‘Many things that we believe impossible are about to come about.’”
“Elephants with Headlights oozes an appealing open-mindedness but also a comforting, sage-like knowing; an acute shrewdness far above any single doctrine or belief system. While I am not the most spiritual person, Le Hunte’s exploration of the importance of self-love and the redemptive power of truly listening (and equally, being heard) really struck a chord.
An immeasurably wise, thought-provoking and ultimately uplifting read.”
“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.”