Island of a Thousand MirrorsNayomi Munaweera
St. Martin's Press
September 2, 2014
Idgie Says:
This is a very dark and intense book about young people not only hoping and striving to better themselves but at the same time respect their religion, culture and parents. In some cultures you find yourself hitting brick wall after brick wall, trying to find a good spot in life that makes you happy. Some of the characters in this book succeed, and some fail very badly.
This book follows several families for three generations as they find their way in life and then find each other. A very good look at life inside Sri Lanka, and the people that continue to live there - or strive to escape.
The writing in this novel has an excellent ebb and flow to it- a very nice cadence - and between that and the words on the first page, you are instantly dragged into the story.
This book follows several families for three generations as they find their way in life and then find each other. A very good look at life inside Sri Lanka, and the people that continue to live there - or strive to escape.
The writing in this novel has an excellent ebb and flow to it- a very nice cadence - and between that and the words on the first page, you are instantly dragged into the story.
Book Description:
Before violence tore apart the
tapestry of Sri Lanka and turned its pristine beaches red, there were
two families. Yasodhara tells the story of her own Sinhala family, rich
in love, with everything they could ask for. As a child in idyllic
Colombo, Yasodhara’s and her siblings’ lives are shaped by social
hierarchies, their parents’ ambitions, teenage love and, subtly, the
differences between Tamil and Sinhala people; but the peace is shattered
by the tragedies of war. Yasodhara’s family escapes to Los Angeles. But
Yasodhara’s life has already become intertwined with a young Tamil
girl’s…
Saraswathie is living in the active war zone of Sri Lanka, and hopes to become a teacher. But her dreams for the future are abruptly stamped out when she is arrested by a group of Sinhala soldiers and pulled into the very heart of the conflict that she has tried so hard to avoid – a conflict that, eventually, will connect her and Yasodhara in unexpected ways.
Saraswathie is living in the active war zone of Sri Lanka, and hopes to become a teacher. But her dreams for the future are abruptly stamped out when she is arrested by a group of Sinhala soldiers and pulled into the very heart of the conflict that she has tried so hard to avoid – a conflict that, eventually, will connect her and Yasodhara in unexpected ways.
Nayomi Munaweera's Island of a Thousand Mirrors is an emotionally resonant saga of cultural heritage, heartbreaking conflict and deep family bonds. Narrated in two unforgettably authentic voices and spanning the entirety of the decades-long civil war, it offers an unparalleled portrait of a beautiful land during its most difficult moment by a spellbinding new literary talent who promises tremendous things to come.