The Elephants in My Backyard

A Memoir

By: Rajiv Surendra

Narrated by: Rajiv Surendra

"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.

©2016 Rajiv Surendra (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

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.

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.

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.

Well written

Excellent story, nicely written and read by the author. This should be a best seller.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.