The Elephant in the Room

PerFiction_ist Rating:

9 out of 10

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South African author Maya Fowler's 2009 debut novel, which takes an honest look at eating disorders, is as heartbreaking as it is compulsively readable.

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This book completely surprised me by how good it was, how it affected me, and how much I enjoyed it. To be honest, if it was set in America I never would have bought it, but I've been wanting to read more South African books by local authors, so when I saw that it was set in Kalk Bay, Plumstead, and the Karoo (all places I have visited recently), I just had to get it. And let me tell you, I was unprepared for how it would devastate me.

The story is told from the point of view of Lily, from the time she is about 7 to when she is in her 20's in the early 2000s. Lily's family situation is challenging, with financial problems, an apathetic mother, a domineering grandmother, and a difficult relationship with her younger sister. In her teenage years, she becomes convinced that she needs to lose weight and stops eating. She develops anorexia nervosa and later, bulimia as well. We are taken into Lily's mind as her obsessions about food, eating and her dysfunctional notions about her body become worse and take over her life. Seeing her inner torment and the repetitive pattern of her self-destructiveness and addiction is horrifying and, at times, difficult to read. It was frightening to me to see how easily she fell victim to the disorder, even though there were many contributing factors in her life, mainly from family and friends, the way it started was quite innocuous. The disorder quickly consumed her though, and soon she had no time or energy for anything other than obsessing about food and her body and hiding what she was doing to herself.

"I'm a body terrorist. My body terrorises me. I terrorise it back."

As harrowing as this book was, I couldn't stop reading, to the point where I was standing in line at the Department of Home Affairs at 8 a.m with my nose stuck in it. The style and language are impressive, with vivid depictions of South African life. I enjoyed reading about things that are uniquely South African, like the way we talk, the food, and even the politics. The author pulls off an incredible feat of depicting the deep racial prejudices and divides that were commonplace before the end of Apartheid in 1994. Maya also did a great job in giving us a child's perspective on family, friendships, secrets, and growing up. That realistic perspective is what makes this book so readable. She also writes with humour at times, bringing lightness into a book about hard topics.

"This morning, I noticed a tiny pink flower sprouting from a green frill that has poured out from a crack between the tarred pavement and a stone wall. It stops my breath for just a second. I can't believe this beautiful thing in between all the hardness and greyness."

I feel that it is extremely important for parents, educators, and guardians to read books like these, as well as other material on eating disorders, in order to learn to recognize and identify the early stages. It was incredibly sad to see Lily's family ignoring the signs, whether it was from apathy or a lack of knowledge on how to help her. My heart also broke for her because schoolgirl friendships can be absolutely brutal and she was treated terribly, in the way that only girls can be nasty to each other.

"I now realise that some of those fine actresses, [my sister] included, have known all along they were acting. For a long time, though, I wasn't aware of it. For me it was real. The fear of failure has always been alive in me."

Even though it broke my heart, I loved this book so much and I still think about it a lot, weeks after I read it. The only problem I had with it was that I wish it was longer. Although I don't know if my heart could have taken much more. The Elephant in the Room is an absolutely excellent book that needs more love and publicity and I will be recommending it for years to come. You can get a copy at a great price on the Reader's Warehouse app.

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First published in 2009 by Kwela Books, an imprint of NB Publishers

ISBN: 978-0-7957-0284-6

Pages: 270