The Tusk That Did the Damage

One of the most unusual and affecting books… a compulsively readable, devastating novel.
One of the most compelling and unusual novels I’ve read this year…. A fascinating story of hunters and observers, old mythical gods and modern politics. * Guardian, Book of the Year *
One of the most compelling and unusual novels I’ve read this year…. A fascinating story of hunters and observers, old mythical gods and modern politics. * Guardian, Book of the Year *
This gorgeously written novel is unlike anything I’ve ever read, and unlike anything you’ve ever read too. * Glamour *
Impressive…sharp and unnerving sensibility. James offers a captivating rendering of an animal’s point of view. Assured and skillful * New York Times Book Review *
Impressive * Guardian *
The Tusk That Did the Damage will leave you breathless as you follow three narrators across the wild plains of India. A poacher, a documentary filmmaker, and an elephant called Gravedigger all illuminate the complexities of the country and culture, and you’ll be stunned by the author’s portrayal of the magnificent, tusked animals central to the character’s lives * Time Out New York *
Lusciously written… a thoroughly readable novel that refuses to provide a simplistic perspective on the brutality of elephant poaching * Metro *
Heart-racingly paced…Narrated in part by a pachyderm, it paints a vivid picture of conservation and corruption..a story that moves…with grace and humour, as light-footed as a poacher * National Geographic Traveller *
Ivory trading, poaching, an escaped elephant, a risky love affair, all set in rural South India and “blend[ing] the mythical and the political”—this novel seems to have it all * The Millions *

Tania James’s debut novel Atlas of Unknowns was a New York Times Editor’s Choice and was shortlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian literature. She has also written the short story collection Aerogrammes, and her stories have appeared in the New Yorker, Granta, Freeman’s- The Future of New Writing, One Story and A Public Space. The Tusk That Did the Damage was shortlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize. From 2011 to 2012, Tania James was a Fulbright fellow to India living in New Delhi. She now lives in Washington DC.

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