https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSSPDRNN
I'll take this opportunity to talk about this here. It is a folktale, set in the 1700's in Thailand, in which a woman falls in love with an elephant. It is the second book of three; the first, Be Our Guest, is more modern. You will remember that in the original tale, the spell on the beast is cast by a rejected bad fairy, who is mad at him and turns him into a beast. I'm kind of stuck on how that was watered down into an old witch mad at the prince for not giving her shelter. Well Disney can do as they like but I'll also tell the story I like. Now I have three (third one not finished) with six beauty/beast relationships to consider.
I decided to just go with what I'm comfortable with; I'm not touching bestiality, or serious LGBTQ type things, because I don't know enough about them and also because in the modern world they've become a target for fascist retribution. I just don't want to touch it, and if that makes me a coward, at least it makes me able to write. One of my best friends is like an LGBTQ+ pioneer and sometimes I feel like I should carry the flag but I'm not carrying that one or any flag, that's just the way I am. I do however like the idea of magical realism: not so sure I fit into it, but sure I can carry that banner a little.
My deeper worry is that I'm not representing Thailand correctly or carefully. This is Thailand in the 18th century - who am I to know what I'm doing? I'm a little more comfortable now that I'm writing about this one French missionary who just appears in it, but I don't really know missionaries either. Not to mention, the Thai language or culture. Do the wai? Make the wai? Perform the wai? What do I know?
Ah but give it a try. Folk tales are for the folk, and I'm a folk.
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