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Not Our War
Sanjiva Wijesinha's short stories - many of which have been awarded prizes in short story competitions - collected in an anthology for the first time.
Drawing on the knowledge and experience gained during his long and varied career as an army medical officer, a paediatric surgeon and a family physician who has worked in various parts of the world, Sanjiva Wijesinha has crafted a series of short stories that are suffused with romance, drama and humour - and often carry a twist in the tail.
A superbly written and engaging collection set in places ranging from Sri Lanka during the war against the Tamil Tigers to the Falkland Islands in the nineteen eighties, Wijesinha's book is in the same league as George Sava's Surgery Holds the Door and Arthur Conan Doyle's Round the Red Lamp.
Drawing on the knowledge and experience gained during his long and varied career as an army medical officer, a paediatric surgeon and a family physician who has worked in various parts of the world, Sanjiva Wijesinha has crafted a series of short stories that are suffused with romance, drama and humour - and often carry a twist in the tail.
A superbly written and engaging collection set in places ranging from Sri Lanka during the war against the Tamil Tigers to the Falkland Islands in the nineteen eighties, Wijesinha's book is in the same league as George Sava's Surgery Holds the Door and Arthur Conan Doyle's Round the Red Lamp.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
92 pages, Paperback
First published December 8, 2008
22 people want to read
About the author
Sanjiva Wijesinha
6 books11 followersDr. Sanjiva Wijesinha grew up in Sri lanka, where he graduated from the Colombo University medical school and then completed a research degree at Oxford University. He trained as a surgeon and worked as a paediatric surgeon in Sri Lanka and Hong Kong before migrating to Australia and re-training as a family physician.
For the past forty years he has been writing health and travel articles – initially for newspapers in Sri Lanka and subsequently for newspapers and magazines in Australia, Britain, Singapore, India, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and the US.
His published books include Health for Busy People, Live Happily Ever After, Health in These Times, Stories of the Silk Roads, Not Our War, Friends, Tales From my Island and Strangers on the Camino.
He now lives in Melbourne Australia, where he practises as a family physician and is an Associate Professor at Monash University.
For the past forty years he has been writing health and travel articles – initially for newspapers in Sri Lanka and subsequently for newspapers and magazines in Australia, Britain, Singapore, India, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and the US.
His published books include Health for Busy People, Live Happily Ever After, Health in These Times, Stories of the Silk Roads, Not Our War, Friends, Tales From my Island and Strangers on the Camino.
He now lives in Melbourne Australia, where he practises as a family physician and is an Associate Professor at Monash University.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 17, 2014
FIRST I JUST HAVE TO SAY THAT I WAS SO LUCKY TO RECEIVE THIS BOOK FROM THE AUTHOR AND GOODREADS AS I HAD WON A GIVEAWAY. I AM ALSO SO APPRECIATIVE THAT THIS BOOK WAS SIGNED!
I TOOK TWO DAYS TO READ IT ALL. WHEN I LOOKED ON THE BACK, I SAW THAT THE AUTHOR WAS VERY EDUCATED AND THAT, ALONG WITH THE DESCRIPTION, MADE ME VERY EAGER TO GIVE IT A READ. THE AUTHOR IS ALSO A DOCTOR.
I LIKED THE STORIES THAT WERE IN THIS BOOK AND I THOUGHT THAT IT HAD BEEN WRITTEN EXTREMELY WELL AND PUT TOGETHER BRILLIANTLY. I COULD UNDERSTAND AND FEEL A LOT OF THINGS WHILE READING THESE AND I FOUND IT COMPELLING TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
I WAS AMAZING TO READ ABOUT A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF LIFE AND THE TOPICS ARE SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T HEAR ABOUT IN OUR EVERYDAY LIFE ESPECIALLY LIVING IN AUSTRALIA.
IT WOULD'VE HAVE BEEN SUCH AN EXPERIENCE TO HAVE HAD AND YOU CAN REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THERE IS A LOT OF EFFORT PUT INTO WRITING THIS
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ THESE STORIES AND FOR PORTRAYING A SITUATION IN TIME THAT WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN
I TOOK TWO DAYS TO READ IT ALL. WHEN I LOOKED ON THE BACK, I SAW THAT THE AUTHOR WAS VERY EDUCATED AND THAT, ALONG WITH THE DESCRIPTION, MADE ME VERY EAGER TO GIVE IT A READ. THE AUTHOR IS ALSO A DOCTOR.
I LIKED THE STORIES THAT WERE IN THIS BOOK AND I THOUGHT THAT IT HAD BEEN WRITTEN EXTREMELY WELL AND PUT TOGETHER BRILLIANTLY. I COULD UNDERSTAND AND FEEL A LOT OF THINGS WHILE READING THESE AND I FOUND IT COMPELLING TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
I WAS AMAZING TO READ ABOUT A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF LIFE AND THE TOPICS ARE SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T HEAR ABOUT IN OUR EVERYDAY LIFE ESPECIALLY LIVING IN AUSTRALIA.
IT WOULD'VE HAVE BEEN SUCH AN EXPERIENCE TO HAVE HAD AND YOU CAN REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THERE IS A LOT OF EFFORT PUT INTO WRITING THIS
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ THESE STORIES AND FOR PORTRAYING A SITUATION IN TIME THAT WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN
October 18, 2014
Dr. Wijesinha has dedicated this book to his friends and colleagues, soldiers as well as civilians, who lost their lives during Sri Lanka’s war years between 1983 and 2009.
He has developed all his stories from simple plots and all 13 stories in Not Our War are emotional. Once you read these stories you will feel that the characters are true to life. T
his is a fine collection of superb human interest stories. His style of writing is simple, lucid and readable. His compassion to his patients as a surgeon and physician comes across beautifully throughout this book.
In the last short story in Not Our War he winds up with these heartfelt lines: “Having served for over 20 years as a Military Medical Officer, I have learned at first hand what blood smells like and what it is like to lose friends on the battlefield.”
He has developed all his stories from simple plots and all 13 stories in Not Our War are emotional. Once you read these stories you will feel that the characters are true to life. T
his is a fine collection of superb human interest stories. His style of writing is simple, lucid and readable. His compassion to his patients as a surgeon and physician comes across beautifully throughout this book.
In the last short story in Not Our War he winds up with these heartfelt lines: “Having served for over 20 years as a Military Medical Officer, I have learned at first hand what blood smells like and what it is like to lose friends on the battlefield.”
June 8, 2014
This is a book that will be enjoyed not only by those who like to read good short stories (and there are some lovely short stories here) but also by those who cwant to know how individual human beings are affected by war.
This is a book which provides an appreciation and a sensitive portrayal of what men and women who are involved in war suffer.
This is a book that is dedicated to Dr Wijesinha's friends and colleagues – soldiers and civilians – who lost their lives during the quarter century when Sri Lanka went through a terrible period of war.
I particularly liked 'Doctor Uncle' and 'When Tiny got Lost'.
I can recommend this book highly.
This is a book which provides an appreciation and a sensitive portrayal of what men and women who are involved in war suffer.
This is a book that is dedicated to Dr Wijesinha's friends and colleagues – soldiers and civilians – who lost their lives during the quarter century when Sri Lanka went through a terrible period of war.
I particularly liked 'Doctor Uncle' and 'When Tiny got Lost'.
I can recommend this book highly.
March 20, 2013
This book consists of stories that appear to be mostly personal accounts of the author's experiences in the Sri Lankan army while fighting the Tamil Tigers. This is a world that was new to me, and though not great literature, they are moving in their simplicity and honesty.
April 21, 2015
Sensitively written stories. Reminds us of what soldiers and their wives and parents have to go through during times of war - whether was during the Second World War or the more recent 25 year war in Sri lanka that only ended recently.
September 6, 2015
Some of the stories are set during the Sri Lankan war against the LTTE in which the author who was an army doctor was himself involved. Others are st during the Second World War and the Falklands war.
These are gripping yet sensitively written stories that convey a powerful message.
These are gripping yet sensitively written stories that convey a powerful message.
May 30, 2014
A beautifully written book portraying the stories of Sri Lankan military experiences.
June 23, 2014
I enjoyed this book. Easy reading and excellent value
May 31, 2016
I received a free copy of this book through goodreads first reads and was very impressed with the book. I enjoyed reading each one of the stories. Well written by a wonderful inspiring man.
November 25, 2019
I was fortunate to receive a copy of this book from Dr. Sanjiva Wijesinha, having previously read and enjoyed his book “Strangers on the Camino”.
“Not Our War” is different in its tone and subject matter, and unlike Strangers on the Camino, it’s not purely autobiographical. It’s a collection of short stories, essays and a couple of semi-fictional pieces, in which war plays a part in some way.
The book highlights the impact of war from all angles - from the soldiers on the front line, to the people left behind, and the effects of conflict across generations. Many of the stories revolve around the conflict in Sri Lanka; others are linked to WWII and the Falklands War. There are sad, poignant and shocking stories, but also heartwarming and humorous ones. In all of them, Dr. Wijesinha draws on the wealth of his own experience as a military medical officer to bring the stories to life.
My favourites were the stories where the war was in the background, subtly influencing events. The title story “Not Our War” takes place some time after WWII. “Loyalty” is a short, lyrical piece with a sting in its tail. “When Tiny Got Lost” is a story of personal relationships which contains a vivid description of the lonely view from the south coast of Sri Lanka: “one could look out over miles and miles of ocean stretching out towards the South Pole.”
This is a short book that is full of humanity; I would recommend it to anyone wanting to understand the effects of conflict - of all kinds - on individual lives.
“Not Our War” is different in its tone and subject matter, and unlike Strangers on the Camino, it’s not purely autobiographical. It’s a collection of short stories, essays and a couple of semi-fictional pieces, in which war plays a part in some way.
The book highlights the impact of war from all angles - from the soldiers on the front line, to the people left behind, and the effects of conflict across generations. Many of the stories revolve around the conflict in Sri Lanka; others are linked to WWII and the Falklands War. There are sad, poignant and shocking stories, but also heartwarming and humorous ones. In all of them, Dr. Wijesinha draws on the wealth of his own experience as a military medical officer to bring the stories to life.
My favourites were the stories where the war was in the background, subtly influencing events. The title story “Not Our War” takes place some time after WWII. “Loyalty” is a short, lyrical piece with a sting in its tail. “When Tiny Got Lost” is a story of personal relationships which contains a vivid description of the lonely view from the south coast of Sri Lanka: “one could look out over miles and miles of ocean stretching out towards the South Pole.”
This is a short book that is full of humanity; I would recommend it to anyone wanting to understand the effects of conflict - of all kinds - on individual lives.
January 9, 2014
Book Review by Rakhita Jayawardena
It was the famous American historian and author Barbara Tuchman who once said ‘Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill”.
Sanjiva Wijesinha’s new book Not Our War is not just a collection of short stories. Most of these stories are set against the backdrop of our nation’s recent years of war. As such, even though this is a work of fiction, it adds not only to Sri Lankan literature but also to our social history – because these are the human stories of the people unwittingly caught up in the maelstrom of war and military conflict.
Stories such as ‘Doctor Uncle’ and ‘Sergeant Thabrew’s Story’ (which the author classifies as ‘Faction’ – somewhere between fact and fiction) contain some personal and touching events that relate to the time he was serving as a medical officer in the Army both at the battle front in the North and at the Military Hospital in Colombo. These are stories that are nostalgic and emotional, and reveal an aspect of war that those of us not actively involved in such conflicts would never have heard, seen or even believed.
There are other stories such as ‘Old Friends’, ‘Loyalty’ and ‘When Tiny got Lost’, that explore the human values of Friendship, Loyalty and Love – and tales from the Second World War and Britain’s Falklands War that remind us that Sri Lankans are not alone in suffering the human costs of military conflicts.
Like Barbara Tuchman, Dr Wijesinha provides his readers with a better understanding of what precedes and follows the men and women who are involved in war. His book will be of value not only to those who appreciate short stories but also to those who care to learn about how individual human beings are affected by war.
I highly recommend this book which is dedicated to the author’s friends and colleagues – soldiers as well as civilians – who lost their lives during our country’s recent years of conflict.
Not Our War – published by Vijitha Yapa Publications: Colombo 2013 (ISBN 978-955-665-207-9)
It was the famous American historian and author Barbara Tuchman who once said ‘Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill”.
Sanjiva Wijesinha’s new book Not Our War is not just a collection of short stories. Most of these stories are set against the backdrop of our nation’s recent years of war. As such, even though this is a work of fiction, it adds not only to Sri Lankan literature but also to our social history – because these are the human stories of the people unwittingly caught up in the maelstrom of war and military conflict.
Stories such as ‘Doctor Uncle’ and ‘Sergeant Thabrew’s Story’ (which the author classifies as ‘Faction’ – somewhere between fact and fiction) contain some personal and touching events that relate to the time he was serving as a medical officer in the Army both at the battle front in the North and at the Military Hospital in Colombo. These are stories that are nostalgic and emotional, and reveal an aspect of war that those of us not actively involved in such conflicts would never have heard, seen or even believed.
There are other stories such as ‘Old Friends’, ‘Loyalty’ and ‘When Tiny got Lost’, that explore the human values of Friendship, Loyalty and Love – and tales from the Second World War and Britain’s Falklands War that remind us that Sri Lankans are not alone in suffering the human costs of military conflicts.
Like Barbara Tuchman, Dr Wijesinha provides his readers with a better understanding of what precedes and follows the men and women who are involved in war. His book will be of value not only to those who appreciate short stories but also to those who care to learn about how individual human beings are affected by war.
I highly recommend this book which is dedicated to the author’s friends and colleagues – soldiers as well as civilians – who lost their lives during our country’s recent years of conflict.
Not Our War – published by Vijitha Yapa Publications: Colombo 2013 (ISBN 978-955-665-207-9)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews