A woman grieves a miscarriage, haunted by the Buddha's birth. An artist with schizophrenia tries to survive hatred and indifference in small-town India by turning to the beauty of sculpture and dance. Orphans in India get pulled into a strange "rescue" mission aimed at stripping their mysterious powers. A brief but intense affair between two women culminates in regret and betrayal. A boy seeks memories of his sister in the legend of a woman who weds death. And fragments of history, from child brickmakers to slaves in Renaissance Portugal, are held up in brief fictions, burnished, made dazzling and unforgettable. In sixteen remarkable stories, Chaya Bhuvaneswar spotlights diverse women of color-cunning, bold, and resolute-facing sexual harassment and racial violence, and occasionally inflicting that violence on each other. White Dancing Elephants marks the emergence of a new and original voice in fiction and explores feminist, queer, religious, and immigrant stories with precision, drama, and compassion.
"Chaya Bhuvaneswar's debut collection maps with great assurance the intricate outer reaches of the human heart. What a bold, smart, exciting new voice, well worth listening to; what an elegant story collection to read and savor."
Lauren Groff, New York Times bestselling author
"Bhuvaneswar tackles the intricate interactions of race, class, and sexuality in this enticing debut...Sharp and provocative, and Bhuvaneswar's voice rings true."
