Polly Biswas Gladwin
A page turning love story- I was hooked. Harry and Ramma are both hugely endearing and I hoped their relationship would be strong enough to overcome the prejudice they both faced. It reflected my life of gifts and travails of a mixed race relationship. The meaning of the title Sculpting the Elephant is revealed towards the end of their journey and the elements of the story are brought together in this beautiful metaphor.
Polly Biswas Gladwin: Polly’s background is in TV and documentary editing. Polly’s grandparents come from India, Iceland and England. She and her husband Shimit have three children.
Professor Simon Altmann (Oxford)
This is an impressive book with excellent characters and an engaging story. In this well researched novel I especially like the warm picture of Asoka, one of my heroes. Very necessary since his is a shining example of governance. Most importantly Sculpting the Elephant is a good read. I spent two lovely days with it.
Simon Altmann (Emeritus Professor @ Brasenose College Oxford). Simon Altmann’s area of research was Mathematical Physics but he also writes about poetry & the philosophy of science & art. Born in Buenos Aires, he lectures in Italy and Spain as well as in the UK.
Professor Rebecca Haque. (Dhaka, Bangladesh)
Found myself totally immersed in the history and culture of a place close to my own origins. The intricate narrative design of two parallel plot lines with their distinctive location and ethos — colonial India of the British Raj, and Oxford (England) in the late 1990’s — pulled me deep into the lives of the protagonists. Sylvia Vetta has written a book which fundamentally traces the philosophical and moral dimensions of a journey which crosses racial and religious boundaries. In effect, “Sculpting the Elephant” is as much a record of a quest as it is a modern allegory.
Rebecca Haque is Professor of English, University of Dhaka and a well-known literary critic and writer of creative non-fiction, a poet, and translator. Her Op-Ed column appears regularly in The Daily Star Newspaper, Dhaka.
Caroline Henney: Vintage jewellery expert at Antiques on High, Oxford
Who doesn’t love a love story - especially when the lead characters have to overcome barriers of upbringing and prejudice to be together?
Their journey to self-discovery begins with an encounter in an Oxford Antiques shop. Sylvia’s inside knowledge of the antiques business and traders is spot on. Some characters were inspired by real people and the completely fictional characters became more real with every line. A gripping story from the past is discovered in a well-travelled chest of drawers and there’s a brave step into the future courtesy of a modern young hero and heroine. Sculpting the Elephant is a delightful read.
