When Elephants Fly: One Woman's Journey from Wall Street to Zululand

by Carol Batrus

A memoir that speaks to all that have felt burnt out, stuck in a rut or unchallenged by the aspects of daily life--regardless of their personal success.

Genres: Nonfiction, Africa, Travel

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 18, 2005

Reviews

[pdxmaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

captures well how the most well-intentioned tourist/volunteer worker) inadvertently sends all the wrong messages
“Unaware of my own assumptions, I expected the people of Isandlwana to respond to situations using the basic tenants of human interaction as defined by my experience. But their life experiences weren’t anything like mine. I expected (and wanted) them to have boundaries around how much they asked for. I expected they would have a sense of self-sufficiency like me and say, ‘you have already done more than enough for me, thank you.’ Well, they weren’t like me, nor should they be. They had no concept of the quantity or availability of the resources I controlled. I suspect they reasoned that there was little downside to asking, if the worst I could do was say no.” pages 234-235 This is why best practices have evolved to place in an in-country agency as the contact with the local people, organizing them into village governance/advocacy units, aka Green Empowerment.

[Gontse Mogaswa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful experiences written through a very relatable lens.

[JennanneJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I haven't been to Africa yet, though I'm still hoping to go. Not because of THIS book though! Yikes. You would have thought that someone who lived in Africa 2 years and came back and wrote a book would want to share why she went. I didn't really get the feel that this Carol Batrus enjoyed herself at all or enjoyed South Africa at all. The book focused on problems and frustrations of living in a Zulu village. Did she appreciate her time there? You couldn't tell it from reading this book!

Nevertheless, an interesting look at what the situations and concerns of a tribe in South Africa are in the present day (or 8 years ago).

[Sharon · Rating 1 out of 5]

A memoir that manages to evoke no emotion at all. You'd think a 50 year old woman dropped into a Zulu tribal land could get something but the writing is bland. Little humor. There is introspection but it's kind of whine-y. Bleh. Shame really given the basic premise - successful American woman thrust into severe culture shock in Africa.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amazing story, told okay. I really credit Batrus for being so honest about the challenges and her ability to face them. I like learning about new places, so there's that. I would have been out of my mind frustrated with the pace of change, of making seemingly unimportant (and very important decisions).

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was not interested enough in it to even finish it. It is a straight "I did this, I saw this" kind of memoir, with very little personal evaluation or response to her 2 year stint helping in a small Zulu outpost. Everyone in book club felt it was lacking depth and good writing!

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I thought, oh another Three Cups of Tea story. But I appreciated reading about her philosophical changes and such awareness of the cultural differences and the why behind the differences. Definitely a good read.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

One woman's experience in South Africa. Varied experiences and good explanations make it an interesting read.

[Sherry Mohazab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting.