Tusk and Stone

The book, Tusk and Stone, written by Malcolm Bosse, is, overall, a good story. As the main character is forced to travel all throughout seventh-century India, you learn about the country's many cultures. The story teaches you how to be strong during hard times in life. I would recommend this novel to just about everyone. It took me a while to really get into the story, though. The beginning was depressing because there was much struggle and nothing seemed to be going right for the main character, Arjun, a young man in the high-ranking Brahmin class. First, his caravan is attacked and the attackers kill his uncle and kidnap his sister while Arjun is exploring the nearby woods. Then, while trying to track down his sister, Arjun is drugged and sold to the army by a man he meets along the way. As you can see, there are not many happy parts in the beginning of the story. But you just want to keep reading to find out if Arjun's life improves. The second half of Tusk and Stone is when Arjun's life, and the book, start improving because of his positive atittude. For example, "Arjun's willingness to accept his lot impressed the sergeant. He decided to give this young recruit a chance to do more..." Afterwards, Arjun becomes a great mahout, an elephant trainer and rider in the army. Although there were a few sad parts in the second half of the book, I must say it is a lot better than the first. I really admired Arjun. He accepted all of the bad things that happened to him, but never lost hope. The boy's rank in the Indian culture was always twisting and turning. Even though fate was constantly pushing Arjun into lower classes, the young man's positive outlook on life and hard work eventually helped him to increase his rank and status. Overall, Tusk and Stone is quite enjoyable and readers of all ages would be able to learn about the traditional Indian culture from it. The story also shows that by being strong in life and not giving up, you can continue on during rough times. You just need to get through the first half of the book.

What I found most interesting in this title was the relationship of young Arjun to the elephant he trained and rode into battle. Admittedly, I know little of seventh-century India, and cannot vouch for historical accuracy, but this was an interesting book in time and place. I also enjoyed Arjun's coming to maturity through hardships and valor. For 12 years and up who enjoy reading about faraway places and long-ago lives.