THE SEA ELEPHANTS

Vikas Adam's performance--tender and tinged with optimism--lends a welcome lightness to this coming-of-age novel about a young man who is trying to find his place in 1990s India. When his father threatens to send him to conversion therapy, Shagun leaves school to join a traveling performance troupe. There he finds friendship, an artistic calling, and first love with an alluring photographer. Despite this good fortune, Shagun faces intense homophobia and violence throughout his life; some of the graphic scenes are hard to hear. Adam's narration is steady and direct. He avoids sensationalizing and instead uses a relatively even voice except in moments of profound pain. This is a complex and often harrowing novel, but it's not without moments of hope. L.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2023]