This story is hilarious!! I got so engrossed, the characters became real to me almost immediately. It's a wonderful book, walking you through different cultures, mindsets, beliefs, sometimes in the space of one chapter. The ending is wistfully satisfying. Highly recommended!
On Lord Krishna's birthday, a miracle baby is born into THE prominent Hindu family in Mangalam, a village on the southwest coast of India. The general consensus among family members is that the infant must certainly be the avatar, or reincarnation of Krishna. Except Babli, the logical science student in the family, challenges everyone's leap of faith about her tiny cousin. When she catches a glimpse of his long dark hair and sideburns, she quips that he could just as well be Elvis. Neeli, her older sister and aspiring journalist, writes an article about the miracle baby and includes Babli's "Elvis" comment. But the school newspaper editor rejects her story. So to show him she gives the article to her cousin Raji's brand new husband who is the computer specialist for the Memphis Tattler. After the wedding he returns to Tennessee, and passes the article to the editor who is always eager to publish anything "Elvis". The editor changes the article so that it implies that the miracle baby of Mangalam is the reincarnation of Elvis and publishes it. Maggie Duckworth, a filthy rich Elvis fan and certified nut case, reads the article and decides she must go to India, find this child King and return him to his rightful throne at Graceland.
When Maggie-the-oil-magnate arrives in Mangalam with Alonzo-the-Tattler-reporter in tow, a collision of culture, politics, religion, and espionage ignites an hilarious group insanity that reverberates all the way up to the Prime Minister in New Delhi, reducing government officials to what they do best -- pulling solutions out of their collective butts.
"The Avatar" is a movie waiting to be put on film. Oozing with irony, this tale contains the small town political hi-jinks of "Fuse", the blind faith of "Waiting for Guffman", the family feuds of "Cold Comfort Farm", and the baby antics of "Raising Arizona" -- all in one wacky satire. Tabrizi has a whimsical way of lampooning cultural differences to make us laugh at how very much alike we all are on this planet.
Copyright (c) 2005 by Peggy Tibbetts
