-
The Elephants in My Backyard
- A Memoir
- Narrated by: Rajiv Surendra
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
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Publisher's summary
"This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I found myself standing dangerously close to the edge of a cliff. Far below me was an incredible abyss with no end in sight. I could turn back and safely return to where I had come from, or I could throw caution to the wind, lift my arms up into the air...and jump." (From The Elephants in My Backyard)
What happens when you spend 10 years obsessively pursuing a dream, and then, in the blink of an eye, you learn that you have failed, that the dream will not come true?
In 2003, Rajiv Surendra was filming Mean Girls, playing the beloved rapping mathlete Kevin Gnapoor, when a cameraman insisted he read Yann Martel's Life of Pi.
Mesmerized by all the similarities between Pi and himself - both are five-foot-five with coffee-colored complexions, both share a South Indian culture, both lived by a zoo - when Rajiv learns that Life of Pi will be made into a major motion picture he is convinced that playing the title role is his destiny.
In a great leap of faith Rajiv embarks on a quest to embody the 16-year-old Tamil schoolboy. He quits university and buys a one-way ticket from Toronto to South India. He visits the sacred stone temples of Pondicherry, he travels to the frigid waters off the coast of rural Maine, and explores the cobbled streets of Munich. He befriends Yann Martel, a priest, a castaway, an eccentric old woman, and a pack of Tamil schoolboys. He learns how to swim, to spin wool, to keep bees, and to look a tiger in the eye. All the while he is really learning how to dream big, to fail, to survive, to love, and to become who he truly is.
Rajiv Surendra captures the uncertainty, heartache, and joy of finding ones place in the world with sly humor and refreshing honesty. The Elephants in My Backyard is not a journey of goals and victories, but a story of process and determination. It is a spellbinding and profound book for anyone who has ever failed at something and had to find a new path through life.
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A truly unique background and story
- By Asaph on 04-13-18
By: Flor Edwards
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Notes on a Banana
- A Memoir of Food, Love, and Manic Depression
- By: David Leite
- Narrated by: David Leite
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Reminiscing about the people and events that shaped him, David looks back at the highs and lows of his life, from his rejection of being gay and his attempt to "turn straight" through Aesthetic Realism, a cult in downtown Manhattan, to becoming a writer, cookbook author, and web publisher, to his 23-year relationship with Alan, known to millions of David's readers and listeners as "The One", which began with (what else?) food.
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Finished it in a day!
- By Kathryn on 08-23-17
By: David Leite
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Breaking Night
- A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard
- By: Liz Murray
- Narrated by: Liz Murray
- Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Liz Murray was born to loving but drug-addicted parents in the Bronx. In school she was taunted for her dirty clothing and lice-infested hair, eventually skipping so many classes that she was put into a girls' home. At age 15, Liz found herself on the streets when her family finally unraveled. She learned to scrape by, foraging for food and riding subways all night to have a warm place to sleep. Then, when Liz's mother died of AIDS, she decided to take control of her own destiny.
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unbelievably inspiring
- By Amazon Customer on 03-17-12
By: Liz Murray
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The Wangs vs. the World
- By: Jade Chang
- Narrated by: Nancy Wu
- Length: 14 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Charles Wang is mad at America. A brash, lovable immigrant businessman who built a cosmetics empire and made a fortune, he's just been ruined by the financial crisis. Now all Charles wants is to get his kids safely stowed away so that he can go to China and attempt to reclaim his family's ancestral lands - and his pride. Outrageously funny and full of charm, The Wangs vs. the World is an entirely fresh look at what it means to belong in America - and how going from glorious riches to (still name-brand) rags brings one family together in a way money never could.
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Spectacular
- By Barbara on 10-11-16
By: Jade Chang
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In the Country
- Stories
- By: Mia Alvar
- Narrated by: Nancy Wu, Don Castro
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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These nine globe-trotting, unforgettable stories from Mia Alvar, a remarkable new literary talent, vividly give voice to the women and men of the Filipino diaspora. Here are exiles, emigrants, and wanderers uprooting their families from the Philippines to begin new lives in the Middle East, the United States, and elsewhere - and sometimes turning back again.
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My introduction to Filipino literature and culture
- By Amazon Customer on 03-28-16
By: Mia Alvar
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Secret Daughter
- By: Shilpi Somaya Gowda
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Debut novelist Shilpi Somaya Gowda pens this compelling tale about two families, worlds apart, linked by one Indian child. After giving birth to a girl for a second time, impoverished Kavita must give her up to an orphanage. The baby, named Asha, is adopted by an American doctor and raised in California. But once grown, Asha decides to return to India.
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A Must Read
- By Stephanie on 06-08-11
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A Good Country
- A Novel
- By: Laleh Khadivi
- Narrated by: Assaf Cohen
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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A timely novel about the radicalization of a Muslim teen in California - about where identity truly lies, and how we find it. Laguna Beach, California, 2010. Reza Courdee, a 14-year-old straight-A student and chemistry whiz, takes his first hit of pot. In as long as it takes to inhale and exhale, he is transformed from the high-achieving son of Iranian immigrants into a happy-go-lucky stoner.
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A very important contribution
- By Mia on 05-29-17
By: Laleh Khadivi
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The Miseducation of Cameron Post
- By: Emily M. Danforth
- Narrated by: Beth Laufer
- Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Cameron Post feels a mix of guilt and relief when her parents die in a car accident. Their deaths mean they will never learn the truth she eventually comes to - that she's gay. Orphaned, Cameron comes to live with her old-fashioned grandmother and ultraconservative aunt Ruth. When she’s eventually outed, her aunt sends her to God’s Promise, a religious conversion camp that is supposed to “cure” her homosexuality. At the camp, Cameron comes face to face with the cost of denying her true identity.
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A very worthwhile Read!
- By TENA on 11-02-14
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Scarborough
- By: Catherine Hernandez
- Narrated by: Catherine Hernandez
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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In Scarborough, a low-income urban neighborhood, three kids struggle to rise above poverty, abuse, and a system that consistently fails them. The adults in their lives either rise to the occasion or fall by the wayside; together, they make up a troubled yet inspired community that refuses to be undone.
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Difficult but excellent!
- By Erna on 01-30-20
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The Walking People
- By: Mary Beth Keane
- Narrated by: Sile Bermingham
- Length: 16 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Greta Cahill never believed she would leave her village in the west of Ireland until she found herself on a ship bound for New York, along with her sister Johanna and a boy named Michael Ward. Labeled a "softheaded goose" by her family, Greta discovers that in America she can fall in love, raise her own family, and earn a living.
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Irish immigratn story
- By Chrissie on 09-10-13
By: Mary Beth Keane
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All the Winters After
- A Novel
- By: Seré Prince Halverson
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Kachemak Winkel never intended to come back to his hometown of Caboose, Alaska, where his family died in a plane crash 20 years earlier. When he finally musters the courage to return and face his painful memories, he's surprised to find a mysterious young woman living in his abandoned house.
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The Old Old Story
- By Bruce on 06-16-16
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Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules (Unabridged Selections)
- By: Edited by David Sedaris
- Narrated by: David Sedaris, Mary-Louise Parker, Cherry Jones
- Length: 2 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules is a collection of short stories, some classic, others impending, selected and introduced by David Sedaris.
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Great stories but only 5 of 17 are included
- By Terri Kirk on 07-13-12
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Black & White
- By: Dani Shapiro
- Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Clara Brodeur has spent her entire adult life pulling herself away from her famous mother, the renowned and controversial photographer Ruth Dunne, whose towering reputation rests on the unsettling nude portraits she took of her young daughter from the ages of three to 14. As Clara charts a path connecting her childhood with her adult life, Shapiro's novel weaves together past and present in images as stark and intense as the photographs that tore the Dunnes apart.
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It was okay
- By Lucy7 on 02-13-19
By: Dani Shapiro
What listeners say about The Elephants in My Backyard
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Teresa
- 04-03-22
Rajiv is a gifted storyteller
I loved listening to this Rajiv really pulls you into his mind. I felt like I was experiencing what he was.
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- Hjordis Elma
- 05-29-18
Wonderful and relatable story
I bought the book in hardcover shortly after it was published. But I felt that I needed to hear Rajiv tell his story himself.
I was not disappointed having done so. Rajiv makes the story become alive and so much more relatable than when it is just words on paper.
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- veronica punch
- 01-16-24
Captivating!
One of the best books I’ve read / listened to in the last 20 years. Heartwarming, self- deprecating, humorous, and inspiring. Just what is needed at the moment. Brilliant. Rajiv’s charm shine’s through.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amy Reyes
- 10-19-24
Well written
Excellent story, nicely written and read by the author. This should be a best seller.
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- Matt Jones
- 06-29-21
The Elephants in My Backyard - fascinating read
What a feast of a book!
Rajiv gives insights into the behind the scenes world of the entertainment business as he works toward becoming perfect for the role in Pi. He’s almost there from the get-go, but needs to fill in some blanks.
His journey is fascinating, inspiring and deflating. Like all good stories, I devoured his, bereft when I’d finished the book as my adventure was over.
There are a few spots in the book that deserve a heads-up warning for any parent of a younger reader. Apart from that, I wholeheartedly recommend this book of an example of life, it’s twist and turns, how we rise to the occasion and handle defeat, the challenges and triumphs, the choice of staying true to oneself vs being fluid and open to experiences.
I learned of this book through a serendipitous sighting of a YouTube video featuring ‘ordinary’ people who had decorated their homes “Handmade” (by HGTV I believe).
The book was not readily available, (except for on Audible, hence my new subscription) which I’m quite surprised at, as I feel it has universal appeal. It deserves to be in bookstores everywhere and I shall endeavor to secure hard copies for my both my personal AND public library!
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2 people found this helpful
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- C F M
- 07-07-21
More than Elephants
What a wonderful, poignant, entertaining story read by the gifted author/actor/artist. It was so much more than I expected and with each chapter I felt drawn in as if I were Rajiv’s confidante, wishing him the best, laughing with him and second guessing his decisions. If you’ve ever wanted anything, you must read this book.
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- Katherine W.
- 07-03-22
I needed this story
I chose this audiobook because I love both Mean Girls and Life of Pi, and I was looking for entertainment during my commute. This book was not only entertaining, it was heartwarming and inspiring. I recently have been struggling to figure out what to do with my life after a dream-rending rejection. Hearing that Rajiv went through the same thing and came out on the other side happy in a way he’d never considered…it gives me hope.
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- Rachel D.
- 08-16-22
An unexpected gem
I was fully captivated by the incredible story telling and authenticity of Rajiv.
I flip through my included plus collection quickly at times when an unknown author or story fails to bring me in, this one I couldn’t wait to get back to any time I had to pause it.
The universal experience of failure and what we make of it was told with nuance and empathy. Rajiv doesn’t just say what has happened in his life, he evaluates it, he makes sense of it, and in doing so he becomes relatable in the sense of narratives like The Alchemist, every persons journey is exquisitely unique and entirely universal at the same time.
I laughed, I cried, I felt comforted by his words and engaged in his story. Highly recommend this for anyone who values authenticity, art, and storytelling. It is masterfully done.
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- Cat B.
- 01-11-23
A blessing
Rajiv is a breathe of fresh are, a prayer answered, a life well lived…and because he shares his journey, he is a blessing.
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- JW
- 09-22-21
Fabulous memoir
I loved this memoir. I was moved, inspired and nourished by Rajiv’s wisdom. He has a beautiful voice which just makes the story so much richer and a delight to listen too.
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1 person found this helpful