The Elephant In The Room

It’s been nearly a year since Sila’s Mum had to return to Turkey from the USA. There was a glitch with her immigration paperwork after a change in the rules and there’s no telling when she might come back.

When a work trip with her father leads her to a lonely, but very wealthy, old gentleman, it is the beginning of a series of fortuitous encounters. A failing circus, an unexpected friendship, tuna fish sandwiches and an elephant named Veda intermingle to change Sila’s life for good.

The story of Sila’s separated family reflects the plight of many immigrants and refugees around the world; living between two cultures and at the mercy of rules that don’t always make sense.

Sometimes we are so busy living our own lives that we don’t see the connections that could link us to people who might seem very different from us. But, with gentle humour and insight, this book shows how seeing the world through someone else’s eyes can make our own lives better.

With short chapters, great characters and plenty of tension, the overriding message is this: many quiet people have plenty to say – we just have to learn how to listen.