Garden of Dreams

by Melissa Siebert

When Eli de Villiers, a boy from a fractured family in Cape Town, goes to India with his mother, an astonishing adventure awaits him. He is kidnapped and lands in a brothel in Delhi, at the mercy of the diabolical madam and child trafficker, Auntie Lakshmi. Eli escapes with other children, fleeing through India's fantastical landscapes towards Nepal - Eli to find his father, the others to return home. In hot pursuit are Lakshmi's henchmen, as well as her nemesis, the irrepressible Inspector V.J. Gupta. A band of Maoist rebels, enlisted by Eli's father to help find his son, follows their trail. In this evocative coming-of-age saga, a boy's quest to reunite his family collides with the bittersweet realisation that he cannot remain in the garden of dreams forever, and that a broader, bolder life is impossible without accepting the world as an imperfect place.

Unknown Binding

First published June 1, 2014

Reviews

[Nerine Dorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had an abiding love for India and her culture for many years, so when the opportunity presented itself to read Garden of Dreams, I grabbed it with both hands. In this story, we encounter the quite unconventional De Villiers family, and especially fourteen-year-old Eli, who finds himself in a predicament when his mother, Margo, abandons him. She feels that he is adult enough to complete the journey to Nepal, to be reunited with his estranged father, Anton.

Only Eli never makes it to his destination. He is kidnapped by child traffickers and ends up in a brothel in Delhi owned by the horrible madam Lakshmi, who develops a decidedly unhealthy fixation with the pretty lad.

The plucky Indian inspector VJ Gupta assures Eli’s parents that he is doing his best to find the boy, but as the weeks pass, hope dwindles. Margo falls into dissolution and despair, while Anton falls in with Maoist rebels in a desperate bid to save his son.

Meanwhile, Eli is made of sterner stuff than his parents expect, and when an opportunity for escape presents itself, he embarks on an epic quest to find his father – lost in a strange land and with no one to turn to other than the ragged band of children all trying to get home – and stay one step ahead of the child traffickers.

In Garden of Dreams, it’s not so much the physical journey that transforms Eli (and to a certain extent the secondary characters) but rather how his external circumstances impact on his inner landscape.

At the start, Eli strikes me as a self-involved boy (as many young teens are), and we join him at a time when he is at his most vulnerable – and in his case his naïveté has severe consequences. Yet this crucible in which he discovers himself, though fraught with danger, serves to strengthen him by stripping away the child to reveal a sensitive, resilient young man who, above all is a survivor who possesses much compassion.

Margo and Anton each have their realisations to make, particularly that they have failed as parents. Anton has run away from his issues by trying to save the world, whereas Margo sinks into her maudlin introspection to the point where she is mired in her feelings of inadequacy. Gupta and Lakshmi exist as polar opposites, each caught in an eccentric orbit around the other – their navigation of a corrupt world brings two distinctive perspectives of the same setting into play.

Much like real life, there is no tidy, convenient closure to Garden of Dreams. And as reader, I am content with this. Rather, it is a space for reflection against a cultural backdrop both alien and exotic, filled vividly with equal measures of beauty and darkness.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book to curl up in bed with - a real page turner - the richly imagined plot encompasses colourful, memorable characters and a whirlwind of adventures across the seedy and exotic landscapes of India and Nepal. Powerful and thought-provoking, it makes one acutely aware of the beauty and fragility of life and the painful realities of child trafficking.

[Pamela Ruthven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never been to India, but felt like I was there reading this book. Evocative and touching story.
I loved it.

[Lianne Godfrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say I either hated or loved this book. It was kind of in the middle: I hated some parts, loved others. In the beginning I wasn't sure if it was a teen or adult novel. The fact that the story focused around a teen and largely told the story through his eyes reminded me of YA, yet the topics of drugs, prostitution and child exploitation eventually made me
settle on it being an adult novel. Nonetheless I didn't feel very challenged by it and on first read, it seemed very straight-forward and not very believable. I do believe that I might need to give this book a second try, perhaps in a few years time, since on 'second read', it might grow on me.

[Kate MacWilliam · Rating 5 out of 5]

An evocative tale of a young boy's journey to find himself, his family and friends. Beautifully written, we are reminded of the harsher side of life, an estranged marriage, a woman who has lost her way and their son who is kidnapped. In this novel we are transported to the 'dark side;' yet there is beauty in each person and place, a constant reminder of hope. We realise that each character hopes to escape - but that in the end, what awaits is their own 'Garden of Dreams,' a place where they can find themselves and dare to dream.

I was gripped.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book that effortlessly evokes all the sights, sounds and smells of India. The story is disturbing in the way that this could very well be a true reflection of what can and does happen to children who become part of the horror of child trafficking. Very well written and a compelling read.

[Catherine]

This debut novel was written by a high school friend - I can't wait to read it.

https://www.facebook.com/gardenofdrea...

Soon to be available online: http://www.kalahari.com/Books/Garden-...

regards, Catherine

[Tal Honor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't identify or enjoy even one character, they were all one dimensional or horribly over the top. The author even bordered on culturally offensive when depicting South Africans and Indians. And what a lackluster ending!