Dalee

It is a great adventure. A rusty steamer with a whole herd of elephants in its belly sets sail from Calcutta and heads for the Andaman Islands. On board are the young Bellini, his family and their working elephant, Dalee. India has just become independent and the family leaves everything behind to start a new life on the distant archipelago. None of them realise what awaits them there. Not only an impenetrable jungle, but also unpredictable former inmates of a British colonial prison and a rich entrepreneur who does not fulfil his promises.
In the midst of all this, Bellini is to learn the time-honoured craft of the mahout, the elephant handler. The Great Grey soon becomes his closest companion, and the boy even rides through the sea on the elephant's back. But Dalee becomes moody and dangerous with age. He seems to lose his memory - a catastrophe for the family. They say an elephant never forgets, but what if he does?
Opulent and richly illustrated, Dennis Gastmann tells the story of a new beginning in the unknown, of lifelong friendship and of saying goodbye. An extraordinary adventure inspired by a true story.