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Island of a Thousand Mirrors

Nayomi Munaweera (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 3,683 ratings · 626 reviews

A stunning literary debut of two young women on opposing sides of the devastating Sri Lankan Civil War—winner of the Commonwealth Book Prize for Asia, longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize

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 ...more

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Hardcover, 242 pages

Published 2014 by St. Martin's Press (first published 2012)

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Jan 15, 2016 Jen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sri-lanka, 5-star-favourites

I was lulled by this narrative and its powerfully descriptive writing. The thousand mirrors are the school of silver fish that inhabit the coral surrounding Sri Lanka. They appear to be shards of mirrors as they come together in a frenzy then frantically break apart as they swim out to sea.

I catch my breath as I see the beauty of this island -the vivid colours, the tastes, the sounds, until I am shocked out of my stupor with the violence that turns this ravishingly lush land red with rage and bl ...more

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Aug 21, 2014 Candi rated it really liked it

Shelves: asia, historical-fiction, debut

"Sometimes I get this breathless feeling that the war is a living creature, something huge, with a pointed tongue and wicked claws. When the tanks rumble past in the far fields, I feel it breathe; when the air strikes start and the blood flows, I feel it lick its lips."

Island of a Thousand Mirrors is an intense and vivid portrait of a piece of Sri Lankan history that I was relatively unfamiliar with before reading this. A remarkable debut by Nayomi Munaweera, this novel is beautifully written, j "Sometimes I get this breathless feeling that the war is a living creature, something huge, with a pointed tongue and wicked claws. When the tanks rumble past in the far fields, I feel it breathe; when the air strikes start and the blood flows, I feel it lick its lips."

Island of a Thousand Mirrors is an intense and vivid portrait of a piece of Sri Lankan history that I was relatively unfamiliar with before reading this. A remarkable debut by Nayomi Munaweera, this novel is beautifully written, juxtaposing the stunning landscape of this island country with its ravaging horrors of a civil war. The imagery is remarkable. As a reader, I could easily envision the bright colors, the sounds and the mouth-watering market smells of the island. I was then jolted into the shocking scenes of brutality and often graphic violence of the war.

The story is narrated by two daughters, Yasodhara the Sinhalese and Saraswathi the Tamil. We quickly learn that the two ethnic groups clash, ultimately leading to war. But before this happens, we learn a lot about Yasodhara Rajasinghe and her parents and grandparents. We glimpse forbidden love and perhaps squirm at the custom and sorrow of arranged marriages. We meet Shiva, the Tamil boy that lives upstairs from the Rajasinghes; his family lives in fear as the conflict between groups escalates outside the safety of the four walls of their home. Yasodhara’s family will opt to leave their homeland and escape to America where they must try to fit in. The author’s portrayal of their efforts to understand and assimilate into the American culture is well done – often moving and sometimes quite humorous. On their first visit to the supermarket, Yasodhara proclaims "At the supermarket what riches greet our eyes! What mounds of dew-dripping, perfectly formed vegetables… Mountains of tangerines, sparkling red onions, bloodless meat. We had not imagined such munificence was possible, that there were so many ways one could clean a countertop, so many specialized ways of wiping an ass." Ha! How true is that?! But Yasodhara and her sister, Lanka, or La, are not satisfied with life in America and will eventually return to their home to help those left stranded and orphaned by the war.

Much later in the book we hear the voice of Saraswathi. I wish her section was not started so late in the book. She has grown up in a war zone and knows no other life but that of soldiers, barbed wire, and young men that never return to their families. She has a dream to become a teacher and sustains herself with this hope for her future. A crushing cascade of events due to the brutalities of this war will cause her life to intersect with that of the Rajasinghe family. Two families unknown to one another will forever be linked.

This truly was a powerful story about the senselessness of war. It was often heartbreaking, sometimes graphic in its depictions of struggle and bloodshed. At the same time, it is an honest portrayal of both sides of a conflict such as this. We come to see the misunderstandings, the reactions to unthinkable deeds, and the hurt that propagates the act of destroying our fellow human beings. It’s not all hopeless though – life does go on and simple wonders can provide happiness and salvation. I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and lush writing. My only complaint other than the late introduction of Saraswathi is that I had a little difficulty keeping track of Yasodhara’s family. There were several relatives that came and went in the earlier part of the story and not being familiar with the names, I had to remind myself who was who. Fortunately, a family tree is provided at the beginning of my hard copy, so I was able to frequently flip there to refresh my memory. 4.5 stars
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Feb 19, 2014 Diane S ☔ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Some books, just by the nature of the subject and content are so incredibly hard to read. This was one such book. Portraying two families, caught up in the violence of Sri Lanka, one family leaves and goes to the United States, one family stays in what they consider their home.

Did not know very much about this subject before I started reading this book, but now know much more. That doesn't mean I understand it, I don;t think I will ever understand how one group of people can decide they are bett ...more

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May 12, 2014 Angela M rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley-reviews

I knew pretty much nothing about the civil war in Sri Lanka before I read this novel. About half way through, I stopped reading to learn more so I could better understand this story. I learned that this war lasted over 25 years from 1983 – 2009 and that 80,000 – 100,000 people were killed. What those articles didn’t tell is the story of how this war impacted the people's lives. This book, however, beautifully tells the heart wrenching story of what the Sri Lankan people endured during this civil I knew pretty much nothing about the civil war in Sri Lanka before I read this novel. About half way through, I stopped reading to learn more so I could better understand this story. I learned that this war lasted over 25 years from 1983 – 2009 and that 80,000 – 100,000 people were killed. What those articles didn’t tell is the story of how this war impacted the people's lives. This book, however, beautifully tells the heart wrenching story of what the Sri Lankan people endured during this civil war.

It’s about the people from both sides of that struggle and how it took their sons and daughters, brothers and sisters and scarred their lives forever. It really is mind boggling that this small volume holds so much. Yes, it is mainly about the war but it is about the culture, about marriages - arranged marriages and love marriages, about the caste system and prejudices over skin color and about the immigrant experience, about familial love and childhood friendships.

There are two narratives. Yasodhara, a Sinhalese, tells the story of her family in Sri Lanka before and at the start of the hostilities. They have the means to leave for America as the war is beginning. They immigrate to California, but eventually, Yasodhara and her sister La return to their home island. Saraswwathi tells the story of her Tamil family in the midst of the horrors of the war. Horrible things happen and the family experiences loss and brutality .So brutal are the acts against her that she can easily become a Tiger and kill her enemies without hesitation.
The violence and sadness, the loss of life depicted here reminded me of how I felt while reading The Almond Tree . Parts of the book were difficult to read - graphic in detail but the writing is just so good .Towards the end of the book I held my breath wondering if I had guessed what would happen. I did and it was more than heartbreaking even though I knew what was coming.

No side is portrayed as right or wrong; each group of people equally suffers atrocities. Even in the grief in the end there is love and a hopeful look to the future .I don't know what more to say except - wow!

Highly recommended !
Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martins Press
...more

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Sep 25, 2016 Michael rated it really liked it

Shelves: los-angeles, racism, family-relationships, coming-of-age, war, fiction, immigrant-experience, sri-lanka

This is a moving saga of two families caught up in the civil war in Sri Lanka between the largely Buddhist Sinhalese majority and the largely Muslim Tamil minority. It is beautifully written, full of lyrical portrayals of daily life amid the beauty of the land and sea and flora and fauna of this island nation. The sensuous world of food, colorful clothes, and family traditions of fishing and commerce as painted by two girls growing up in loving families gives way to the fears wrought by smolderi This is a moving saga of two families caught up in the civil war in Sri Lanka between the largely Buddhist Sinhalese majority and the largely Muslim Tamil minority. It is beautifully written, full of lyrical portrayals of daily life amid the beauty of the land and sea and flora and fauna of this island nation. The sensuous world of food, colorful clothes, and family traditions of fishing and commerce as painted by two girls growing up in loving families gives way to the fears wrought by smoldering prejudices between peoples exploding into pervasive violence. A doomed teen love relationship between the cultures is poignantly portrayed. Tamil children are tragically taken up into guerilla training. A girl in the Tamil family is raped and gets radicalized enough to join and fight with the insurgent Tamil Tigers. The Sinhalese family takes the opportunity to emigrate to California, facing a new kind of alienation there. Years later, the narrator and her sister return to take up the challenge of building a new society founded in hope and understanding.

I had only limited understanding of this war based on books by Ondaatje and news accounts over the decades. For other GR readers in the same boat the Wiki article on the civil war can provide some help. For 25 years, from 1983 to 2009, the intermittent violent conflict resulting in 80-100 thousand deaths. These are ancient peoples with distinct languages, cultures, and traditions. The British colonial government before independence contributed to setting up the war by policies favoring the majority Sinhalese. The Tamil Tigers resorted to terrorist extremes in their push for independence, while the Sinhalese dominated government often resorted to genocidal brutality. The Indian government and the UN tried to intervene, but their efforts were usually ineffectual, and the war finally ended through military conquest of the Tamil forces by the Sri Lankan government.

The book stands above such details and speaks to the power of family bonds to instill the drive for life in their youth sufficient to navigate the forces of hate in the world and forge solutions borne of love .
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Aug 11, 2016 Mary rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2016, fiction, sri-lanka

I try to explain. There are no martyrs here. It is a war between equally corrupt forces.

This is Sri Lanka during the Civil War (1983-2009), but it could have been many countries, and the Tamils and Sinhalese could have been numerous ethnic groups. This is a story as old as time, because we’ve always been fighting each other, haven’t we? Young boys have always perished for causes they barely understand; women have always been taken and broken.

In my arrogance I expected less from this pastel colo ...more

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Feb 01, 2014 Aatreyee Ghosh rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It is always hard for me to read a book that talks about immigration. Living in a world of literature where the subject of immi-emi and every sort of integration has been talked about so much, I am always a little weary of picking up a book which yet again comes back to the same American-South Asian dichotomy. Moreover, when a writer who has never really been to the home country chooses to write "authentically" about it, it usually ends up in being a parade of exoticized and over-used situations It is always hard for me to read a book that talks about immigration. Living in a world of literature where the subject of immi-emi and every sort of integration has been talked about so much, I am always a little weary of picking up a book which yet again comes back to the same American-South Asian dichotomy. Moreover, when a writer who has never really been to the home country chooses to write "authentically" about it, it usually ends up in being a parade of exoticized and over-used situations of nostalgia (read Jhumpa Lahiri's latest to know what I am talking about). So, I had met Island of a Thousand Mirrors a number of times at various bookstores, somehow or the other the book snaking its way into my hands but I consciously had kept it back telling myself "I have read similar books".

However, it must be like those love stories where the hero and the beloved keep meeting till they realize the universe is conspiring to get them together. In my case the universe was the people I work for who forced me into the same room with this book which refused to let go of me. Thus, began my slow acquaintance with Island of a Thousand Mirrors.

Nayomi Munaweera and her novel Island of A Thousand Mirrors begins with the same noises that all novels of exile/return begin at. She wills to trace the history of two families, one Sinhala and one Tamil beginning at the moment of inception, quite akin to a Rushdie in Midnight's Children or a Marquez in A Hundred Years of Solitude. However, unlike both these stalwarts, she quickly subsumes her narrative within the more narrow space of the contradictory consciousness of two young girls, seeming to be the schizoid parts of a fragmented psyche. Set against the war torn backdrop of picturesque Sri Lanka, Yasodhara and Saraswathi represent the two sides of the looking glass. Just as in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass where everything has an inverted double, Yasodhara and Saraswathi's stories are the lateral inversions of each other. Both of them are stranded into roles that they are forced to fulfill, one through exile and the other through war. Caught within the grand rhetoric of Nationalism and belonging, home and exile (the most beautiful lines in the novel encapsulate this as "Arteries, streams, and then rivers of Tamils flow out of the city. Behind them they leave...Belonging and Nationalism. It is a list that stays bitter on the tongue, giving birth to fantasies of Retribution, Partition, Secession" )both the protagonists struggle to find a semblance of clarity within the spectral clear charts of their personal histories that had been drawn for them by others. Both are fighting a war that was never hers, just like the thousands in the island who are sacrificed in the name of the greater cause, the Greater war.

Munaweera represents the War in both its absence (through the eyes of the American exiled Yasodhara and her family who listen to the news with bated breath and consume themselves in impotent rage) and its presence (through the breakdown of Saraswathi and her re-creating herself, not quite wholly so, as a rebel fighter). However, unlike other works on the War, there is no machismo, no grand truths, no clarion call of justice, honour or the most illusive of them, glory. And most importantly it is not a masculine war. Every turn of phrase or of event in the novel is guided by a female figure, let it be the matriarch Sylvia Sunethra who heroically saves her Tamil tenants when the mob comes to claim them or Mala who moulds her own story, ironically freed from the constraints of respectability because of her dark colour. Even though both Yasodhara and Saraswathi are hued as the protagonists, it is these litany of women characters, from the hunchbacked Alice to the rebellious and beautiful Lanka to the shy Luxmi who create the myriad images on the silver-backed landscape of these two main characters giving them both the depth and the reflective surfaces of their selves.

It is an unapologetically female novel and there is a marked absence of (refreshingly so) prominent male characters, overturning the very common assumption of War novels being intrinsically male and women in these just play the part of spectators or worse as reduced to the roles of waiting in the proverbial interim room of reflected glory of their male counterparts. The finale does leave you wanting for more in its predictability and staccato nature, but then again life does have an uncanny way of ending with a whimper right?

When I met Nayomi during a seminar at my workplace and was talking to her about her book, she told me how difficult it was to get it published as most of the American publishers dished it saying a woman shouldn't write war novels (well not in these exact words but in similar attitude at least). I didn't understand the comment then. But after reading her novel, I think I do. Nayomi's novel doesn't talk of war as a moment etched in history, viewed through the comfortable lens of the "common good". It doesn't try and justify war as the means to an end or criticize it in a noble, scholastic sort of way. Instead it tell you a story of recklessness, horror, misguided truths and hypocritical stances, it narrates to you the stories that everyone knows but nobody talks about, much like the spoiling of Saraswathi's friend. It creeps into you in the dead of the night and takes you by force and while you writhe and try and free yourself of its sweat and grime, it opens you up, thrusts itself into you and breaks you, leaving the stink of its existence deep within you much longer after it had gone. ...more

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Jul 12, 2017 Diane Barnes rated it really liked it

The adjectives "brutal" and "beautiful" aren't normally used together, but they describe this book. Like others, I had no idea that Sri Lanka experienced a 25 year long civil war, killing over 80,000 people. This book chronicles that war on the lives of two families. It begins in the island before the war, with lovely descriptions of the people and their customs, their food, and the natural world that surrounded them. It ends with the loss of not only families, but an entire way of life. Yes, th ...more

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Jan 23, 2016 Claire rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, around-the-world-2017, around-the-world, sri-lankan-literature

In 2016 I read Nayomi Munaweera's second novel What Lies Between Us and it was one of my Top Reads of 2016, a novel of a young woman trying to adjust to life in a new country, though still haunted by both the beauty and tragedy of her past, her childhood in Sri Lanka.

Island of a Thousand Mirrors similarly evokes the childhoods and family life of two families living in the same house. The house is owned by the matriarch Sylvia Sumethra and her husband, The Judge who are Sinhala people (an Indo-Ay ...more

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Jan 30, 2017 Em*bedded-in-books* rated it really liked it

Shelves: ebooks, awards, asia-sans-india

A powerful story told in a lyrical manner.
Have read a couple of Sri Lankan authors before, and being from South India, With Sri Lanka close by, could not escape knowing about the civil war that has been ripping apart the country. This is the first time I am reading the cultural and political history written in a simple and lucid manner. I don't know who is in the right, who is in the wrong. Often, it is both parties both ways. But I do know that any civil war affects utmost the common person who ...more

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Dec 16, 2019 Scarlet rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, lush-writing, 2019-challenge, disturbia, sri-lanka

“She talks in her most sedate voice, attempting to alleviate our fears, soothe our anxiety. She knows that if we are to survive watching this war from a distance, as spectators, we do not have the privilege of indignation or anxiety.”

I travelled to Sri Lanka in January this year and bought this book as a souvenir. And what a souvenir it's turned out to be. This is a phenomenally written book that recounts the deeply troubled decades of the Sri Lankan civil war through the eyes of two protago ...more

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Aug 01, 2014 Andrea rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-foreign-locale, around-the-world-2017

4.5★

I don't have the words to describe the way this exquisite, small book punched me in the gut, but Nayomi Munaweera certainly has a way with words so I've added a heap of quotes. What a story, what a writer! If you don't know much about the civil war in Sri Lanka, you could do a lot worse than start here.
...more

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May 31, 2014 Lilisa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: around-the-world-2014, favorites, 2014, sri-lanka, historical-fiction

Powerful, mesmerizing, searing – these are words that come to mind having just put down this novel by first-time author Nayomi Munaweera, which I received from Goodreads. So glad I did, or else I might not ordinarily have come across it, which would definitely have been my loss. An amazingly written masterpiece, the rhythm of the book eerily matches the drumbeat of Sri Lanka’s civil war, which devastated the island nation from 1983-2009 pitting Sinhalese against Tamils and taking the lives of mo ...more

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Aug 12, 2016 Girish rated it really liked it

Shelves: immediate-read-challenge, dsc-south-asian

"I shall wake up from these long decades of war and begin to see what we can do in peace, what sort of creature we are when the mask of lion or tiger fall from us"

The book is as intense as it gets in one of the most balanced portrayals of the Sri Lankan struggle. The book chooses 2 narrators one on each side - the eldest daughters of one Sinhala family (Yasodhara) and one Tamil family (Saraswati). Their stories (and their parents generation) entwined with the indelible historical events in Sri L ...more

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Jun 10, 2014 Anna C rated it really liked it

I received an ARC of this book through Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review. I am beyond grateful to have received a free copy. This book is stunning, and I am in awe of Munaweera's descriptive powers.

"The Island of a Thousand Mirrors" follows two teenage girls through the unimaginable horror of the Sri Lankan civil war (though the term genocide does more justice). The Sinhala Yashodhara escapes to Los Angeles and transforms from a shattered refugee to a normal American, while I received an ARC of this book through Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review. I am beyond grateful to have received a free copy. This book is stunning, and I am in awe of Munaweera's descriptive powers.

"The Island of a Thousand Mirrors" follows two teenage girls through the unimaginable horror of the Sri Lankan civil war (though the term genocide does more justice). The Sinhala Yashodhara escapes to Los Angeles and transforms from a shattered refugee to a normal American, while the Tamil Saraswathi becomes a child soldier. Between these two diverging narrators, Munaweera admirably shows a painful piece of Sri Lanka's history.

Munaweera's Sri Lanka feels like a fantasy kingdom. From the first pages of this novel, the reader is bombarded with thick clouds of cardamon and cumin, drowned in the endless shades of green and blue, and lost in the sensuous beauty of the beaches and the ocean. NoViolet Bulawayo called this prose good enough to eat, and I have to agree.

Strangely enough, Munaweera's candy prose is both the book's greatest strength, and the biggest hurdle it must overcome. Her languid descriptions work wonderfully in Yasodhara's expat life of beaches, new clothes, and nascent romances. However, Saraswathi's storyline is saturated with horror. In my opinion, Munaweera did a phenomenal job treading this delicate line. She did not flinch from showing glimpses of pure carnage. She can flip between beauty and horror with more grace than I would have thought possible. Only two moments stretch her powers. The first is the unspeakable event that pushes Saraswathi from intelligent schoolgirl to brutal killer. Munaweera spares no graphic detail and handles this trauma admirably. The second moment was the climax of the novel, when Yashodhara and Saraswathi's storylines collide. Without giving anything away, I'll just say that the violence here is perhaps the only off-pitch novel of the novel. Some horrors can't be expressed in words. Here, Munaweera's gorgeous prose seems out of place.

Overall, this was a 4.5 star book for me. I have only a few small critiques. To me, Yashodhara was the only character who really connects with the reader. Saraswathi's storyline was ripe with potential, but Munaweera actually spends very little time with her. The first fifty or so pages of the novel are spent on the life stories of the parents, grandparents and extended family. I had a very difficult time keeping all of these minor characters straight. This lack of emotional connection meant that the book was not as emotional or visceral as it could have been.

I am also conflicted on Munaweera's presentation of the Sri Lankan civil war. Admirably, she does not choose sides. One of her heroines is Sinhala, one is Tamil. Each girl sees the mindless bloodshed that the other side unleashes. Munaweera does not attempt to place one side in the moral high ground, or present a reductionist account of the conflict, or force in her own political opinions. However, her readers won't be as familiar with the Sri Lankan civil war as she might like. Although Munaweera does an excellent job presenting th simmering racial tension in the novel's first half, I would have appreciated more information on the roots of the Sinhala-Tamil dispute and the political undertones of the crisis.

Despite a few minor hiccups, this is an excellent read. I certainly think that "Island of a Thousand Mirrors" deserves all the awards and hype it is receiving. Munaweera is immensely talented, particularly in her powers of description. I'm just stunned that this is a debut. ...more

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Aug 15, 2020 Tamara Agha-Jaffar rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-ve-reviewed, fiction, historical-fiction, women-of-color, 2020-read-women, 2020-reading-challenge

Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera tells the story of the Sri Lankan civil war which raged from 1983-2009, claiming over 80,000 lives. The events leading up to and including the civil war between the Sinhalas and Tamils unfold in the voices of two young women on opposite sides of the ethnic divide.

Part 1 of the novel focuses on Yasodhara and her Sinhala family. Yasodhara describes the beauty of pre-war Sri Lanka with its pristine beaches, unpolluted ocean, abundant fish, colorful s Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera tells the story of the Sri Lankan civil war which raged from 1983-2009, claiming over 80,000 lives. The events leading up to and including the civil war between the Sinhalas and Tamils unfold in the voices of two young women on opposite sides of the ethnic divide.

Part 1 of the novel focuses on Yasodhara and her Sinhala family. Yasodhara describes the beauty of pre-war Sri Lanka with its pristine beaches, unpolluted ocean, abundant fish, colorful sunsets, succulent fruits, and aromatic foods. This section, with its immersive description of the lush landscape, also introduces her grandparents, parents, and sister. Yasodhara has an eye for detail and exhibits a delightful sense of humor as she highlights her family’s quirks and foibles. With tensions increasing between the Sinhalas and Tamils leading up to the civil war, Yasodhara’s family use their resources and contacts to leave Sri Lanka for Los Angeles.

Part 2 opens with the first-person voice of a young Tamil woman, Saraswathi. It then alternates between her voice and the voice of Yasodhara. Saraswathi’s dreams of becoming a teacher are shattered when she is brutally raped by army personnel who then abandon her for dead. She staggers home only to be told her “spoiled” woman status leaves her no option but to join the Tamil insurgency. She is indoctrinated by the Tamil Tigers and demonstrates her prowess in becoming a killing machine with a lust for revenge, butchering government forces and innocent civilians with no compunction. Her path collides with Yasodhara and her sister who have returned to Sri Lanka to work with orphaned children. The consequences are devastating.

The novel has many strengths. It immerses the reader in the culture, prejudices, and tensions evident in Sri Lankan families both before and during the war. It is a powerful illustration of the universal brutality of all wars with each side perpetrating horrendous atrocities while claiming the moral high ground. It shows the impact on innocent civilians who are brutalized by one side or the other, their young forcibly recruited to join the ranks of fighters and their women used as instruments of war. Fighters on both sides are so brutalized they de-humanize the enemy, maiming and killing at random. And those who survive the horror suffer internal scars that may never heal. Through her graphic description of the violence and devastating impact of civil war, Munaweera demonstrates a universal truth about war: it is brutal and it brutalizes.

The novel’s greatest strength lies in its diction, rhythmic language, and immersive detail. The sights, sounds, smells, and atmosphere of Sri Lanka are evoked in lyrical, vivid prose. One can almost bite into the succulent mangoes, luxuriate in the warmth of the ocean, and feel the languid summer heat. The natural beauty of this tropical island, captured in breathtaking imagery, is later contrasted with the horror of corpses and mutilated limbs situated on full display in villages to terrorize the population. The immigrant experience of adjusting to life in America is realistically reflected in the struggles with outsider status as well as in the initial bewilderment and humorous observations on cultural differences. The characters are well-developed and authentic. Both Yasodhara and Saraswathi are portrayed with sympathy and depicted as caught up in circumstances completely beyond their control.

This is a powerful and deeply moving novel unfolding in exquisite, captivating language. It evokes the lush beauty of Sri Lanka skillfully contrasting it with the brutality of war on a people and its land.

Highly recommended and well deserving of the 2013 Commonwealth Book Prize for the Asian Region.

My book reviews are also available at www.tamaraaghajaffar.com ...more

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Feb 17, 2016 BookOfCinz rated it really liked it

Shelves: all-the-feels, edge-of-your-pages, loved, cant-shut-up-about-this, historical-fiction, life-changing, restore-your-faith-in-humanity

My mind is blown away. What a stunning novel. What a heart-breaking novel. I am left feeling all types of ways. Munaweera is a master storyteller. Before reading this book I knew nothing of the civil war that took place in Sri Lanka between 1983-2009. I am so happy I read this book because I really learnt so much about the origin and the horrors that these people went through during that time period.

You hear about these civil wars happening/happened all over the world and it is not until you pi My mind is blown away. What a stunning novel. What a heart-breaking novel. I am left feeling all types of ways. Munaweera is a master storyteller. Before reading this book I knew nothing of the civil war that took place in Sri Lanka between 1983-2009. I am so happy I read this book because I really learnt so much about the origin and the horrors that these people went through during that time period.

You hear about these civil wars happening/happened all over the world and it is not until you pick up a book (albeit fiction) that you get an “authentic” look at how lives are torn apart by these wars. This book covers such a difficult topic but Munaweera does it in a raw and engrossing way.

Even though this novel is set during the civil war, Munaweera does not use the pages of this book as a sounding board. The book isn’t about who was right or wrong, it merely highlights the havoc and how displaced families are during the war.

I really loved how this book was written. I loved that book is told from the point of view of two girls on the “opposing” side, one Sinhalese and the other Tamil. With these two points of view you get a well-rounded look at how each side is affected by what is happening around them. While Yasodhara’s point of view is heard more, when you do hear from Sarawathie it is strong to the point and covers a lot- sometimes a lot of what I consider, things that are hard to read.

In some ways I wish Munaweera had used more pages for this novel. I cannot help but feel like there are more to these stories that need to be told. Maybe it is her writing or the events that she writes about but every character I am introduced to, I want to hear more from them. Munaweera’s strong character development and build up will have yearning for more on each of their stories. For example, what happened to the Aunt back home? What happened to Sarawathie’s parents and sister? How exactly did Sarawathie’s mother feel handing her over? I have so many unanswered questions, so many characters I feel needs to get their side of the story told. Maybe this is a mark of a good novel, when you left worried and wondering how each character is coping during the aftermath.

I read somewhere that this is a debut novel, if so, what a stunning debut. I am so excited for Munaweera’s literary future, it is clear she has a strong voice and stories that are bursting to be told.

This book is a MUST read.
...more

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Jan 08, 2017 Elaine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2017

The last of the many books related to Sri Lanka that I read as part of a trip there. People in Sri Lanka don't talk much about the war, except in reluctant fragments, and why should they? They didn't live their traumas for the benefit of curious 1st world tourists. Nonetheless, decades of violence lurk behind the lush landscapes, scrumptious curries, ancient monuments and friendly welcoming smiles, and if you're like me, you'll try to learn more, by hook or by crook. For me, that hook is always ...more

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Sep 09, 2014 Carly Thompson rated it it was ok

Shelves: asian-characters, 2014

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Literary fiction about the effects of the Sri Lankan civil war. The first part of the novel is narrated by Yasodhara. She describes her family's background on both her mother's and father's sides of the family and her early childhood in Colombo. Her Sinhala family moves to the U.S. in the early 1980s after the outbreak of Sri Lanka Civil War. The second part is set years later during the Civil War. The narrator is Saraswathi, a young Tamil girl studying to be teacher. After she is abducted and b ...more

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Jun 06, 2014 Amber rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-reads, read-2014, fiction, historical-fiction

Thank you to Goodreads first reads and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of the book.

This book takes place in Sri Lanka during their civil war that started in the 80’s and ended in 2009. It was between the Sinhalese and the Tamils, the 2 largest ethnic groups living there. This book is about children who grew up during this time and the way the atrocities occurring around them impacted their lives. I was a bit confused about who was who, but my book was an advanced readers copy and did not ...more

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Jun 21, 2014 Melinda rated it it was amazing

Two women on opposing sides of the Sri Lankan Civil War.

The contrasting and complimentary protagonists add an extremely powerful element to this moving story. Munaweera’s sparse but affecting prose depicts the atrocities and mayhem of civil war, the mental toll along with the physical and emotional expense suffered by all, no one exempt.

Yasodhara’s voice is the central focus, however, Sarawathie’s voice is a perfect example of ‘less is more.’ Yasodhara is Sinhala. Surrounded by a family with unl Two women on opposing sides of the Sri Lankan Civil War.

The contrasting and complimentary protagonists add an extremely powerful element to this moving story. Munaweera’s sparse but affecting prose depicts the atrocities and mayhem of civil war, the mental toll along with the physical and emotional expense suffered by all, no one exempt.

Yasodhara’s voice is the central focus, however, Sarawathie’s voice is a perfect example of ‘less is more.’ Yasodhara is Sinhala. Surrounded by a family with unlimited love, privilege along with expectations, her parents ambitions are heavy. A carefree girl, unknowing of the differences surrounding her, subtly and indelicately she becomes acutely aware of the deep fissure dividing Sinhala and Tamil. Her presence alone in combination with Munaweera’s ability undeniably set the stage for an emotionally comprehensive and compelling narrative.

The second voice resonating long after the narrative is completed, a young Tamil girl, Saraswathie. Her presence is restrained and tangible. Residing in the middle of the violent chaos, she pursues her dreams never tempered by her volatile location. Arrested by Sinhala soldiers, her life is irrevocably changed forever. She finds herself tangled in the ugly web she desperately avoided, unknowingly her life will intersect with Yasodhara in the most unimaginable way. Sarawathie will touch the reader, you’ll love her and loathe her. You’ll feel empathy for this child as a victim, pawn and culprit. A perfect example of how every one loses in war. Munaweera masterfully creates two characters equal in substance amidst a superfluous savage backdrop of war.

Munaweera’s novel is powerful and emotional. Cultural divide, family roots, forbidden love all brought to reality through the voices of two convincing female protagonists in the decades long unrest. An island rich in beauty is equally rich in roughness. Purely character driven nonetheless the depths of war reverberate. Munaweera’s style is stealth with incredible fortitude, meager yet substantial in content and as a whole. Forceful story. ...more

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Sep 14, 2014 Jeanette rated it really liked it

Imagery in this prose is phenomenal for a debut novel. I had little knowledge of the Civil War in Sri Lanka before I read this book. I knew there was a genocide of sorts between "tribal lineages" but not of this length of time, nor of the complexity of spatial relationship between the Tamil and the Sinhalese speakers. 25 years and such extreme brutality, comparable to the Central African machete genocides.

But the story itself is about families, primarily those that live on two different floors o ...more

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Jun 08, 2014 Liz Janet rated it really liked it

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

This follows a Tamil and a Sinhala family, which are the opposite sides of Sri-Lanka politics, and it is told from the perspective of the eldest daughter, as we navigate love, pain, exile/migration/refuge, war.

The book can be considered to be divided into two parts. The first one is a buildup to the tensions that devastated the country and the families, and how relationships between the characters were formed before the di ...more

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Aug 31, 2014 Janet rated it it was amazing

Shortlisted for the Man Asia Prize, Munaweera's lyrical, intensely emotional novel of the Sri Lankan civil war is a beautifully handled epic told in only 238 pages. The story of several intertwined Sri Lankan families on both sides of the divide of religion--Buddhism and Hindusim--as civil war comes to them, separating neighbors who have lived side by side for generations, by fear and then by hideous violence. Who is this benefiting becomes the unanswerable question.

Told from the point of view ...more

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Aug 04, 2020 Pechi rated it liked it

A compelling, humane tale wrapped around the Sri Lankan ethnic conflicts and civil war. It's a very impressive debut novel with elegant prose and an arresting storyline.

The narrator is an immigrant from Sri Lanka who migrated in the 80s when the conflicts were escalating into a full blown civil war. We get slices of (mostly privileged) Sinhalese and Tamil lives blown violently away from the comforts of a peaceful life as the tornado of war makes its way across the Lankan island. I liked that the A compelling, humane tale wrapped around the Sri Lankan ethnic conflicts and civil war. It's a very impressive debut novel with elegant prose and an arresting storyline.

The narrator is an immigrant from Sri Lanka who migrated in the 80s when the conflicts were escalating into a full blown civil war. We get slices of (mostly privileged) Sinhalese and Tamil lives blown violently away from the comforts of a peaceful life as the tornado of war makes its way across the Lankan island. I liked that the focus lingered mostly on women's lives, and I learnt a lot of surprising facts. I never knew that Sri Lankan Buddhists practised casteism, for example. Sinhalese culture and traditions seem to have a shocking amount in common with the general Indian culture, which makes the civil war all the more bewildering. I wonder if ethic/cultural/religious/linguistic minorities really thrive anywhere (or at least live without any harassment) in any part of the world, given how human nature always leans towards emphasizing the differences between fellow humans. It is definitely not flattering that a major chunk of human history has been shaped either by resentment or a feeling of cultural superiority or an outright hatred of The Other.

Halfway through the book, I was tempted to describe it as The God of Small Things meets Funny Boy because of its mesmerising portrait of childhood in a country in conflict with itself. I would have been hasty to confer such high praise on this book based solely on Part One.

The narrator who is a child/teenager in Part One is an adult in Part Two, and this is where I found the novel stumbling. The charm sustained in Part One is lost when the novel switches tracks, and the prose falls prey to many literary novel clichés. The metaphors grew grating and the first person narration became a bit hackneyed in its description of emotions. The character of Saraswathi need not have been introduced so late in the book when it becomes pretty obvious what her purpose is. The slip from the first person narrative of Part One is pretty jarring here, and while Saraswathi's character is introduced to educate us about both sides of the war, I wish it were done more elegantly/unobtrusively. Given that it's set against the backdrop of war, I feel that the story had a lot of potential that remains untapped. It could have been set in a much larger canvas, and I am somewhat disappointed at the customary treatment of themes.

That said, Island is still a great book to learn about the ethnic conflicts in Sri Lanka, one that does not take sides. It provides an engaging fictional account of humans in the face of war - of those who can afford to escape its wrath, and of those for whom choice remains an abstract dream. ...more

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Oct 02, 2015 Sezín Koehler rated it it was amazing

Shelves: memoir-research, book-iv-pine-ridge-research, tales-of-survivors, book-iii-prague-research, book-v-florida-research, culture, horror, sri-lanka

Devastatingly beautiful. This is the first book I've ever read about my people in Sri Lanka, and it was eerie to see stories I heard growing up about the riots and the Civil War come to life with Munaweera's words. There's even a yellow Volkswagon in the story, and it was my parents actually who had the first Volkswagon Beetle in Sri Lanka in the mid 1970s. The descriptions of Sri Lanka, the food, the smells, the colors, the life, were so vivid I had goosebumps remembering so many things from my ...more

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Jun 08, 2014 Ming rated it it was amazing

I am in delightful awe of the beautiful writing. Its luscious words and images are sustained throughout two stories set primarily in Sri Lanka.

This book was an absolute joy to read. I found myself at odds: wanting to read it greedily and yet, dreading the all-too-quick arrival of the last page.

I will keep an eye out for this author. Her debut book tells me that only more gems will follow.

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Apr 04, 2017 Sangeetha Ramachandran rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned

This story is about a Tamil and a Sinhala family during civil war of Srilanka narrated by elder daughters of both the families. Story of how the war distorted their lives and manipulated their fates. Munaweera has unleashed her potential through her ease of writing, touching readers with this poignant story. There wasn't any exaggeration. The details were dealt by her in the most practical manner with a beautiful prose.

While reading "The story of a brief marriage", I came across this one. Even k This story is about a Tamil and a Sinhala family during civil war of Srilanka narrated by elder daughters of both the families. Story of how the war distorted their lives and manipulated their fates. Munaweera has unleashed her potential through her ease of writing, touching readers with this poignant story. There wasn't any exaggeration. The details were dealt by her in the most practical manner with a beautiful prose.

While reading "The story of a brief marriage", I came across this one. Even knowing that it wasn't going to be a pleasant read didn't stop myself reading this book. Unlike Anuk's book that briefed cruelty of war with events of few days, Munaweera talks about the friction that spanned over generations. Choosing to tell the story through the voice of two strong women was powerful. These women with their delicate childhood, falling in love with books, dreaming a perfect future ended up trapped in war's influences. One who had green memories of her past and one who wasn't capable of remembering her past. Yasodhara could tell her own memories of this beautiful island and Sarawathi was brought into the world in war scenario hence failing to see the country without war. While one fled out of country before war caught her, another was not just to stay but was forced to take part. The book then proceeded to tell you how their paths collided in this tragedy.

Even though the war details portrayed are nothing new to me, this book didn't let me compare with the political scenarios I have had heard of. The island's beauty was what dominated me when I started this book and throughout it was heart-rending to understand how it was destroyed and peace was collapsed. It was the end of the book that gave me the feel of something constructive with its hint of hope. I guess there are enough books out there to tell you war's worst impacts. I need something that inspires folks telling how peace was restored after all and show them the high road. Recommendations are welcome. :) ...more

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May 26, 2015 Nilu rated it liked it · review of another edition

Nayomi Munaweera's attempt at condensing 50 odd years of Sri Lankan history (weaved in to a family saga) into 230 pages is partly successful . That is , if one could consider the reading as checking out a Family album.

You will find the snapshots meticulously arranged in a chronological order. But unless someone sat with you and explained the entire story behind each one of them, it's not going to be a memorable experience. The photography (her writing) is good, the subjects are equally wonderfu ...more

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Mar 28, 2017 Amy rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2017, _own-ebook, fiction

I knew very little about Sri Lankan history or it’s Civil War before reading this novel. It did a beautiful job of telling the story of two families – one Tamil and one Sinhala – as they navigate war, migration, family, love, and more. The journey of these families as they navigate their country and culture during a devastating time was fascinating and difficult. I loved this author’s second novel and I also quite liked this one. Not quite as much as her second book but this is a solid debut nov ...more

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About Nayomi Munaweera

Nayomi Munaweera

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Nayomi Munaweera’s debut novel, Island of a Thousand Mirror was long-listed for the Man Asia Literary Prize and the Dublin IMPAC Prize. It won the Commonwealth Regional Prize for Asia and was short-listed for the Northern California Book Award. Publisher’s Weekly wrote, “Munaweera’s… lyrical debut novel [is] worthy of shelving alongside her countryman Michael Ondaatje or her fellow writer of the m ...more