Of ivory and blood.
Chessboard Street| N° d'inventaire | 24009 |
| Format | 14 x 22 |
| Détails | 256 p., paperback. |
| Publication | Paris, 2021 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782374252988 |
After witnessing his mother being murdered by poachers, a young elephant leads a life of hard work in the service of humankind. Consumed by a desire for revenge, he frees himself from his oppressors and terrorizes the villagers of South India: he traps his victims, then buries their bodies under piles of leaves and dust, earning him the nickname "The Gravedigger."
Manu, the son of a poor rice farmer, finds himself drawn against his will into the sordid world of ivory trafficking, alongside his brother Jayan, an uncontrollable and dangerous young man who sees poaching as a way to escape the poverty of the countryside.
Meanwhile, Emma, an American, is making a documentary about Ravi Varma, a charismatic veterinarian who takes in and cares for young orphaned elephants in a nature reserve. Witnessing questionable practices between some of the reserve's officials and logging companies, she finds herself embroiled in a case that challenges her deeply held beliefs.
Through these three stories, Tania James delivers a heartbreaking and gripping account of the ivory trade, exploring the porous boundary between conservation and corruption. This novel depicts the moral complexity of man, who oscillates between love and betrayal, duty and loyalty, as well as his fractured relationship with animals and nature.
Translated from English (United States) by Brice Matthieussent
After witnessing his mother being murdered by poachers, a young elephant leads a life of hard work in the service of humankind. Consumed by a desire for revenge, he frees himself from his oppressors and terrorizes the villagers of South India: he traps his victims, then buries their bodies under piles of leaves and dust, earning him the nickname "The Gravedigger."
Manu, the son of a poor rice farmer, finds himself drawn against his will into the sordid world of ivory trafficking, alongside his brother Jayan, an uncontrollable and dangerous young man who sees poaching as a way to escape the poverty of the countryside.
Meanwhile, Emma, an American, is making a documentary about Ravi Varma, a charismatic veterinarian who takes in and cares for young orphaned elephants in a nature reserve. Witnessing questionable practices between some of the reserve's officials and logging companies, she finds herself embroiled in a case that challenges her deeply held beliefs.
Through these three stories, Tania James delivers a heartbreaking and gripping account of the ivory trade, exploring the porous boundary between conservation and corruption. This novel depicts the moral complexity of man, who oscillates between love and betrayal, duty and loyalty, as well as his fractured relationship with animals and nature.
Translated from English (United States) by Brice Matthieussent