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Seek The Singing Fish
Growing up in the lagoon town of Batticaloa, a young girl, with an unquenchable curiosity and love of the natural world, is entangled in the trauma and turmoil of the Sri Lankan civil war. Uprooted from everything she holds dear, tragedy and betrayal set in motion an unforgettable odyssey. Torn from east to west, struggling with what it means to belong, she desperately seeks a way home to the land of the singing fish.
318 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2022
32 people are currently reading
535 people want to read
About the author
Roma Wells
3 books55 followersRoma Wells is a Sri Lankan and Irish writer with a family heritage entwined with wild animals and sectarian conflict. Roma studied International Relations at Cambridge University and has worked in journalism, foreign affairs and international development. She is happiest scribbling under trees and at home you will find her bonding with an array of local wildlife.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
April 24, 2024
Civilization versus Nature, a tragedy.....
Mila's story is a hard one, we see her bending with each blow, clinging like a shipwreck survivor to her good memories which get her through, give her ammunition to take another step, to continue. Her passion and love for nature are juxta positioned against civilized humanity which tears each other apart in the name of ethnicity, power, greed thus becoming totally uncivilised, violent, lawless, unkind, unloving. Civilization takes such pride in being separate and above nature but Wells show how by forgetting that we are part of nature and by tearing ourselves apart we are harming nature but most of all we are harming us (including the future us here as well).
Roma Wells can write, in fact she writes beautifully. She included me in her story of violence and pain, she even gave me a name, Shi. I thank her for making me a part of her story rather than leaving me as just a voyeuristic onlooker.
Kudos to Epoque Press for publishing this story.
Mila's story is a hard one, we see her bending with each blow, clinging like a shipwreck survivor to her good memories which get her through, give her ammunition to take another step, to continue. Her passion and love for nature are juxta positioned against civilized humanity which tears each other apart in the name of ethnicity, power, greed thus becoming totally uncivilised, violent, lawless, unkind, unloving. Civilization takes such pride in being separate and above nature but Wells show how by forgetting that we are part of nature and by tearing ourselves apart we are harming nature but most of all we are harming us (including the future us here as well).
Roma Wells can write, in fact she writes beautifully. She included me in her story of violence and pain, she even gave me a name, Shi. I thank her for making me a part of her story rather than leaving me as just a voyeuristic onlooker.
Kudos to Epoque Press for publishing this story.
June 20, 2022
At the moment Epoque Press are having an excellent run. A few months ago the superlative Ghosts of Spring was published and before that the elegantly written The Passing of Forms that we have Loved , the beautifully brutal The Beasts they Turned Away and both What Willow Says and The Nacullians made my top 10 lists of 2021 and 2020 respectively. In other words, I love what this press does.
However I think that Roma Wells Seek the Singing Fish is the best book published so far. Personally it hit a lot of things I like in literature.
Artemila, the narrator and main protagonist of the story, is Sri Lankan, moreover she was born during the civil war, a period where there was violence , uprisings and grotesque killings. It was a time of many atrocities. Atremila has three big passions in life and that is animals. Throughout the book we are treated with tons of animals facts ranging from how beaver dams purify water to the ecosystem which exists in a sloth’s fur. Bowerbirds, brainwashing wasps and immortal jellyfish all feature here and it is fascinating. The other is her father, who teaches her about life and reading. All three loves are connected.
However it is the human animal is the only species which Artemila has problems with. After her parents are killed due to the political situation and her brother is kidnapped, she decides to look for him only to be betrayed by a friend and ends up in London. The question is whether Artemila will ever make it back to her homeland, as problematic as it may be.
There are a lot of themes. Mainly human world vs animal world. Many times Artemila questions our connections with animals. Why are the violent factions in Sri Lanka named after tigers and lions? why do we use certain expressions with animals in them? why do we destroy habitats when animals are integral parts of the ecosystem. Also sometimes nature will take over as there is one memorable chapter which describes a tsunami hitting Sri Lanka
The other is culture clashes, social classes and exploitation of refugees: when Artemila is on the ship heading to the UK she is assigned as a cleaner in nightclubs and greasy spoon restaurants, all the people there take advantage of her position is treated inhumanely, later on she ends up as a helper for a well to do British family and her observations about class become prominent.
As war features in the book, the readers gets accounts of the destruction it leaves behind, although now Sri Lanka is a place of peace, psychological conditions such as PTSD are still occurring and the novel goes into how this is just as destructive as war.
Ultimately Seek the Singing Fish is about the saving properties of literature and how reading is a passport to freedom. At one point Atremila seeks shelter in a bookstore in Camden, strikes a relationship with the owner and there she achieves stability and peace.
I absolutely loved this book. The writing is gorgeous, it is ornate without being too flowery, each word, every sentence just gives the reader gooseflesh. Roma Wells never says anything in a straightforward way and yet it is easy to understand. There are tons of animal related similes which are original. The prose not only flows, it grabs the reader from the first sentence and takes them for a ride until the last sentence.
I will repeat myself. This was a great read. Not only is Roma Wells a word whiz but the book functions as an eye opening experience. Be it war or refugees or the natural world, anyone who reads Seek the Singing Fish will come away with something and that’s a sign of an excellent novel.
However I think that Roma Wells Seek the Singing Fish is the best book published so far. Personally it hit a lot of things I like in literature.
Artemila, the narrator and main protagonist of the story, is Sri Lankan, moreover she was born during the civil war, a period where there was violence , uprisings and grotesque killings. It was a time of many atrocities. Atremila has three big passions in life and that is animals. Throughout the book we are treated with tons of animals facts ranging from how beaver dams purify water to the ecosystem which exists in a sloth’s fur. Bowerbirds, brainwashing wasps and immortal jellyfish all feature here and it is fascinating. The other is her father, who teaches her about life and reading. All three loves are connected.
However it is the human animal is the only species which Artemila has problems with. After her parents are killed due to the political situation and her brother is kidnapped, she decides to look for him only to be betrayed by a friend and ends up in London. The question is whether Artemila will ever make it back to her homeland, as problematic as it may be.
There are a lot of themes. Mainly human world vs animal world. Many times Artemila questions our connections with animals. Why are the violent factions in Sri Lanka named after tigers and lions? why do we use certain expressions with animals in them? why do we destroy habitats when animals are integral parts of the ecosystem. Also sometimes nature will take over as there is one memorable chapter which describes a tsunami hitting Sri Lanka
The other is culture clashes, social classes and exploitation of refugees: when Artemila is on the ship heading to the UK she is assigned as a cleaner in nightclubs and greasy spoon restaurants, all the people there take advantage of her position is treated inhumanely, later on she ends up as a helper for a well to do British family and her observations about class become prominent.
As war features in the book, the readers gets accounts of the destruction it leaves behind, although now Sri Lanka is a place of peace, psychological conditions such as PTSD are still occurring and the novel goes into how this is just as destructive as war.
Ultimately Seek the Singing Fish is about the saving properties of literature and how reading is a passport to freedom. At one point Atremila seeks shelter in a bookstore in Camden, strikes a relationship with the owner and there she achieves stability and peace.
I absolutely loved this book. The writing is gorgeous, it is ornate without being too flowery, each word, every sentence just gives the reader gooseflesh. Roma Wells never says anything in a straightforward way and yet it is easy to understand. There are tons of animal related similes which are original. The prose not only flows, it grabs the reader from the first sentence and takes them for a ride until the last sentence.
I will repeat myself. This was a great read. Not only is Roma Wells a word whiz but the book functions as an eye opening experience. Be it war or refugees or the natural world, anyone who reads Seek the Singing Fish will come away with something and that’s a sign of an excellent novel.
June 20, 2022
The protagonist of the book is Mila, a young Sri Lankan girl. The fact that Mila directly addresses the reader, whom she has named ‘Shi’ meaning breath of life, gives the book a very intimate feel.
The author confides that she has always been magnetised by the concept of refuge and Mila’s earliest refuge is her father’s library, his ‘inky jungle’, a place crammed full of books, a ‘forest of reworked trees’. The room also contains Mila’s own personal little hideaway. Her father’s stories and the facts he relates from his encyclopedia feed Mila’s curiosity and thirst for knowledge. She develops a passionate interest in animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, transfixed by the intricacies of their anatomical structure and habits. Comparisons between animal and human behaviour become a key part of how she sees the world. So a shop owner who has set up a line of teddy bear ‘customers’ for her toddler to practice serving reminds Mila of the way meerkats teach their pups to hunt, and a man singing songs that his listeners later find themselves humming calls to mind how humpback whales spread their melodies to other whales far across the ocean.
Although we sometimes talk about people behaving like animals very rarely does animal behaviour descend to the level of cruelty inflicted by humans, as Mila soon discovers. The peace of her childhood is disrupted in the most profound way when the Sri Lankan civil war reaches her home town of Batticaloa. The comparison between the natural beauty of the country and the ugliness of war is starkly depicted.
Suddenly Mila is alone and forced to fend for herself. ‘War strips and chews away everything you’re sure of and vomits out a perturbing sort of uncertainty.’ Betrayed by someone who preys on Mila’s vulnerability, she finds herself thousands of miles from home, a victim of modern slavery. The next few years test Mila’s strength of will and resilience. Unwilling to trust any offer of help in case it ends in another betrayal, she lives a hand to mouth existence on the streets where every day is a struggle to survive.
Eventually she finds a refuge, one that neatly echoes her father’s library. It’s a place that not only provides her with a place of safety and a space to heal but offers her literary nourishment. ‘Chunky stewing tomes and spines that flaked away like almond shavings. Old, new, spiced and crumbling fellows, all bustling together; real breathing books.’ Gradually Mila is coaxed out of the shell she has contructed around herself and presented with the possibility of returning home to Sri Lanka. However, there is a further journey for Mila to make and a discovery that will bring home the terrible cost of war, whilst also demonstrating that with time and patience there is the possibility of healing.
It is impossible to write a review of Seek The Singing Fish without mentioning the beautiful, lush prose that seems to flow effortlessly from the author’s pen. For example, this mouthwatering description of wares displayed in a local market. ‘Cashew apples, avocado, and sweet citrus carambola oozed beside guavas, pineapples and spiky rambutan. Possum purple passionfruit jostled with jackfruit, plump mangos beamed by breadfruit while red lady papayas sang sweetly to passing nostrils.’ Don’t you just love the image of fruit jostling, beaming or singing?
As Mila warns the reader at the beginning of the book, it’s not a ‘polished little tale wrapped neatly in a bow but an untamed eruption’. Mila’s story is harrowing at times, not least because it is based on real life experiences, but it is infused with an appreciation for the natural world. I thought Seek The Singing Fish was a hugely impressive debut novel.
The author confides that she has always been magnetised by the concept of refuge and Mila’s earliest refuge is her father’s library, his ‘inky jungle’, a place crammed full of books, a ‘forest of reworked trees’. The room also contains Mila’s own personal little hideaway. Her father’s stories and the facts he relates from his encyclopedia feed Mila’s curiosity and thirst for knowledge. She develops a passionate interest in animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, transfixed by the intricacies of their anatomical structure and habits. Comparisons between animal and human behaviour become a key part of how she sees the world. So a shop owner who has set up a line of teddy bear ‘customers’ for her toddler to practice serving reminds Mila of the way meerkats teach their pups to hunt, and a man singing songs that his listeners later find themselves humming calls to mind how humpback whales spread their melodies to other whales far across the ocean.
Although we sometimes talk about people behaving like animals very rarely does animal behaviour descend to the level of cruelty inflicted by humans, as Mila soon discovers. The peace of her childhood is disrupted in the most profound way when the Sri Lankan civil war reaches her home town of Batticaloa. The comparison between the natural beauty of the country and the ugliness of war is starkly depicted.
Suddenly Mila is alone and forced to fend for herself. ‘War strips and chews away everything you’re sure of and vomits out a perturbing sort of uncertainty.’ Betrayed by someone who preys on Mila’s vulnerability, she finds herself thousands of miles from home, a victim of modern slavery. The next few years test Mila’s strength of will and resilience. Unwilling to trust any offer of help in case it ends in another betrayal, she lives a hand to mouth existence on the streets where every day is a struggle to survive.
Eventually she finds a refuge, one that neatly echoes her father’s library. It’s a place that not only provides her with a place of safety and a space to heal but offers her literary nourishment. ‘Chunky stewing tomes and spines that flaked away like almond shavings. Old, new, spiced and crumbling fellows, all bustling together; real breathing books.’ Gradually Mila is coaxed out of the shell she has contructed around herself and presented with the possibility of returning home to Sri Lanka. However, there is a further journey for Mila to make and a discovery that will bring home the terrible cost of war, whilst also demonstrating that with time and patience there is the possibility of healing.
It is impossible to write a review of Seek The Singing Fish without mentioning the beautiful, lush prose that seems to flow effortlessly from the author’s pen. For example, this mouthwatering description of wares displayed in a local market. ‘Cashew apples, avocado, and sweet citrus carambola oozed beside guavas, pineapples and spiky rambutan. Possum purple passionfruit jostled with jackfruit, plump mangos beamed by breadfruit while red lady papayas sang sweetly to passing nostrils.’ Don’t you just love the image of fruit jostling, beaming or singing?
As Mila warns the reader at the beginning of the book, it’s not a ‘polished little tale wrapped neatly in a bow but an untamed eruption’. Mila’s story is harrowing at times, not least because it is based on real life experiences, but it is infused with an appreciation for the natural world. I thought Seek The Singing Fish was a hugely impressive debut novel.
June 29, 2022
Over the last few months I have worked my way through all the books from époque press that I hadn’t already read. This was because all the ones I had read made me want to read more so I decided to go for the full set. "Seek the Singing Fish" is their latest publication (June 2022) and means I am now an "époque completist".
About their mission, the people of époque press say the following on their website:
Our main imprint is seeking out new voices, authors who are producing high-quality literary fiction and who are looking for a publisher to help them realise their ambitions. Our commitment is to fully consider all submissions on literary merit alone.
And so to Roma Wells’ "Seek the Singing Fish". Roma Wells is "...a Sri Lankan and Irish writer with a family heritage entwined with wild animals and sectarian conflict." (also from the époque press website). And that gives you a good introduction to the book because it focuses on sectarian conflict and draws heavily on the natural world.
Artemila (Mila, La) is a young girl growing up in Sri Lanka during the civil war. Her young life is surrounded by terrible acts of violence, some of which impact on her family meaning that eventually she is forced to flee. But her flight does not go according to plan and she finds herself in a dark place. In order to find out whether she is rescued from that place and what happens to her, you will, of course, have to read the book.
Early on in the book we meet Mila’s father who encourages her in her thirst for knowledge of the natural world. The book is peppered with facts about flora and fauna which Mila is completely absorbed by and in which she sees multiple lessons that we as human beings could learn from. Animal behaviour illustrates what is wrong with human behaviour and often, thinks Mila, shows us ways to be better. And it has to be said that Mila’s experience of humanity shows her both the best (e.g. her father and some other characters later in the book) and the worst (e.g. the armies fighting the civil war and the civilians using that to their advantage regardless of human cost) of humanity.
I have to admit to a slightly mixed reaction to the book. I think this is partly down to the blurb on the front where Reeta Chakrabarti describes the book as "thoroughly original". And then, very early on on the book, in the prologue in fact, the narrator herself sets up some expectations by saying the story is "Not a polished little tale wrapped neatly in a bow but an untamed eruption." It’s definitely true that there are some unusual elements to the storytelling (mainly the use of illustrations drawn from nature) but there wasn’t anything that I felt was original. It certainly didn’t feel to me like an "untamed eruption". In fact, with the ending, which I won’t discuss here, it felt more to me like a "polished little tale wrapped neatly in a bow".
That’s not to say that this is in any way a bad book. It’s just that it’s not what I was expecting given the blurb and the prologue. The book is well-written and the pages fly by a quite a rate which is normally a sign that a book is telling a good story.
3.5 stars and I’m rounding up because of the publisher.
About their mission, the people of époque press say the following on their website:
Our main imprint is seeking out new voices, authors who are producing high-quality literary fiction and who are looking for a publisher to help them realise their ambitions. Our commitment is to fully consider all submissions on literary merit alone.
And so to Roma Wells’ "Seek the Singing Fish". Roma Wells is "...a Sri Lankan and Irish writer with a family heritage entwined with wild animals and sectarian conflict." (also from the époque press website). And that gives you a good introduction to the book because it focuses on sectarian conflict and draws heavily on the natural world.
Artemila (Mila, La) is a young girl growing up in Sri Lanka during the civil war. Her young life is surrounded by terrible acts of violence, some of which impact on her family meaning that eventually she is forced to flee. But her flight does not go according to plan and she finds herself in a dark place. In order to find out whether she is rescued from that place and what happens to her, you will, of course, have to read the book.
Early on in the book we meet Mila’s father who encourages her in her thirst for knowledge of the natural world. The book is peppered with facts about flora and fauna which Mila is completely absorbed by and in which she sees multiple lessons that we as human beings could learn from. Animal behaviour illustrates what is wrong with human behaviour and often, thinks Mila, shows us ways to be better. And it has to be said that Mila’s experience of humanity shows her both the best (e.g. her father and some other characters later in the book) and the worst (e.g. the armies fighting the civil war and the civilians using that to their advantage regardless of human cost) of humanity.
I have to admit to a slightly mixed reaction to the book. I think this is partly down to the blurb on the front where Reeta Chakrabarti describes the book as "thoroughly original". And then, very early on on the book, in the prologue in fact, the narrator herself sets up some expectations by saying the story is "Not a polished little tale wrapped neatly in a bow but an untamed eruption." It’s definitely true that there are some unusual elements to the storytelling (mainly the use of illustrations drawn from nature) but there wasn’t anything that I felt was original. It certainly didn’t feel to me like an "untamed eruption". In fact, with the ending, which I won’t discuss here, it felt more to me like a "polished little tale wrapped neatly in a bow".
That’s not to say that this is in any way a bad book. It’s just that it’s not what I was expecting given the blurb and the prologue. The book is well-written and the pages fly by a quite a rate which is normally a sign that a book is telling a good story.
3.5 stars and I’m rounding up because of the publisher.
July 12, 2022
This is a coming-of-age tale in Sri Lanka, about a girl obsessed with knowledge of the natural world, who grows up to face extreme hardship, during a civil war that has torn the country her family apart. There are three parts, each very distinct. Nature writing is predominate in the first half and does an incredible job situating the fiction in time and place—likening various animals to people in compelling ways, intrinsic to their nature, without anthropomorphizing people.
As the book goes on, it is safe to say it becomes much more bleak. There is always an undercurrent of hope, as she tries to understand apply her ability to construct an ecosystem for her current circumstances, enabling her to continue to transition into each new part of the novel.
It’s more epic than I expected, and probably one of the best epic books I’ve read, though only 300 and change pages long. The prose work is great, especially with grammar. The diction itself is accessible and particularly flowery with the nature writing, and otherwise gets the job done, but wasn’t as evocative in urban areas. It’s a book that constantly kept me guessing and was always balanced in characterization and plot beats.
An extremely well constructed book and the primary themes are well struck. No complaints. If it gets a bit dark for you, just keep going. The characters nature consistently shines through, and it always navigates to something else if you are less interested in a particular entanglement.
As the book goes on, it is safe to say it becomes much more bleak. There is always an undercurrent of hope, as she tries to understand apply her ability to construct an ecosystem for her current circumstances, enabling her to continue to transition into each new part of the novel.
It’s more epic than I expected, and probably one of the best epic books I’ve read, though only 300 and change pages long. The prose work is great, especially with grammar. The diction itself is accessible and particularly flowery with the nature writing, and otherwise gets the job done, but wasn’t as evocative in urban areas. It’s a book that constantly kept me guessing and was always balanced in characterization and plot beats.
An extremely well constructed book and the primary themes are well struck. No complaints. If it gets a bit dark for you, just keep going. The characters nature consistently shines through, and it always navigates to something else if you are less interested in a particular entanglement.
July 17, 2022
Grief and hope are not locked in an either or set up, they are as intertwined and symbiotic as the ants in the gal karandha plant that appa so loved. They are the beautiful blue Ceylon magpie with its head dipped dirty red. They are the rainfall that comes both wrecking and nourishing, the waves that come swallowing and smoothing.
Roma Wells is, in her words "a Sri Lankan and Irish author/voice artist with a deep passion for wildlife and wordcraft. From sweltering lagoons to screech frost pastures, Roma has a family heritage entwined with wild animals and began pouring nature-infused stories at the age of just seven." Her Twitter bio has her as "Nature nerd & voice for wildlife. Pirate elf spreading random positivity", which she imparts via upbeat and informative TikTok videos such asL https://www.tiktok.com/@ramblingroma/...
Her debut novel Seek The Singing Fish is narrated by a young woman from Batticaloa in Sri Lanka and a novel where grief and hope, beauty and ugly violence are both heavily featured. She carries a severe scar on her face from a bomb attack on a market that killed her beloved father and other of her friends and relatives are lost in the 2001 Tsunami, killed by the national army or abducted by the Tamil Tigers. But she draws her consolation from her deep love and knowledge of nature, an enthusiasm imparted originally by her father (who she remembers in hagiographic terms "perhaps I am rose tinting")
But her view of nature isn't sentimental but rather, in Tennyson's words from In Memoriam, "Nature, red in tooth and claw":
The Tigers didn't just have to rely on this human tax though. All around town more and more of the younger boys were itching to join the fight. They couldn't wait until it was their time to train in the jungles, their turn to start firing Kalashnikovs for the freedom of their people. The Tigers filled their young heads with vitriol and convinced them that the only way to protect their families was to join the honourable botherhood. The cruelty of the patrolling army soldiers only served to enforce such toxic nonsense. The whole affair made me think of the gruesome Cordyceps Fungus. Thriving in ropical rainforests, the fungus infects carpenter ants, drains their nutrients and manipulates their muscles like a puppeteer. The fungus compels the ants to leave their nest and ascend a nearby stem before piercing through their heads with a spore-laden stalk. The deadly spores then rain down on to the ant's colony starting the brutal madness all over again. In the same way, the Tigers infected the minds of islanders, swirled violent propaganda in their bones, drained their prospects and manipulated their muscles to shoot and slash as they saw fit. Then, from those mutilated corpses, they'd spin propaganda upon the siblings, infecting them with an outrage to be manipulated all over again.
The prose in the novel is as lush as the vegatation in the forest it describes, and at times as hard to wade through - I'd have preferred this novel at half the length, as at times it felt too many nature anecdotes were crammed in, and the plot rather too cinematic for my taste.
Worthwhile but 3.5 stars rounded down to 3.
Roma Wells is, in her words "a Sri Lankan and Irish author/voice artist with a deep passion for wildlife and wordcraft. From sweltering lagoons to screech frost pastures, Roma has a family heritage entwined with wild animals and began pouring nature-infused stories at the age of just seven." Her Twitter bio has her as "Nature nerd & voice for wildlife. Pirate elf spreading random positivity", which she imparts via upbeat and informative TikTok videos such asL https://www.tiktok.com/@ramblingroma/...
Her debut novel Seek The Singing Fish is narrated by a young woman from Batticaloa in Sri Lanka and a novel where grief and hope, beauty and ugly violence are both heavily featured. She carries a severe scar on her face from a bomb attack on a market that killed her beloved father and other of her friends and relatives are lost in the 2001 Tsunami, killed by the national army or abducted by the Tamil Tigers. But she draws her consolation from her deep love and knowledge of nature, an enthusiasm imparted originally by her father (who she remembers in hagiographic terms "perhaps I am rose tinting")
But her view of nature isn't sentimental but rather, in Tennyson's words from In Memoriam, "Nature, red in tooth and claw":
The Tigers didn't just have to rely on this human tax though. All around town more and more of the younger boys were itching to join the fight. They couldn't wait until it was their time to train in the jungles, their turn to start firing Kalashnikovs for the freedom of their people. The Tigers filled their young heads with vitriol and convinced them that the only way to protect their families was to join the honourable botherhood. The cruelty of the patrolling army soldiers only served to enforce such toxic nonsense. The whole affair made me think of the gruesome Cordyceps Fungus. Thriving in ropical rainforests, the fungus infects carpenter ants, drains their nutrients and manipulates their muscles like a puppeteer. The fungus compels the ants to leave their nest and ascend a nearby stem before piercing through their heads with a spore-laden stalk. The deadly spores then rain down on to the ant's colony starting the brutal madness all over again. In the same way, the Tigers infected the minds of islanders, swirled violent propaganda in their bones, drained their prospects and manipulated their muscles to shoot and slash as they saw fit. Then, from those mutilated corpses, they'd spin propaganda upon the siblings, infecting them with an outrage to be manipulated all over again.
The prose in the novel is as lush as the vegatation in the forest it describes, and at times as hard to wade through - I'd have preferred this novel at half the length, as at times it felt too many nature anecdotes were crammed in, and the plot rather too cinematic for my taste.
Worthwhile but 3.5 stars rounded down to 3.
June 9, 2022
An epic journey and an epic novel. Bravo!
July 19, 2022
The selling point of this novel, and certainly where it is the strongest, is in its focus on and reverence for the non-human world of living creatures that exists mostly overlooked all around us. The book’s protagonist, Artemila, finds refuge in this world while growing up amid civil war in Sri Lanka, and an appreciation for what the non-human world has to offer if you grant it your attention is effectively communicated.
Where the book is weakest is in its account of the affairs of us two-legged human beings. One stereotypical gentle, doting, loving, intellectual father figure was fine, but when a second one came along I have to admit I wasn’t so enamored. And while I really do appreciate that the book shines a light on the reality of contemporary slavery going on right under our noses in the UK and other first-world countries right this very moment, from a literary point of view I found that whole section wanting.
Overall it’s quite a worthwhile read considering what it does well. I imagine that part will stick with me longer than the memory of what I found less interesting, and remind me to take the time to appreciate the squirrels, birds, dragonflies, fish and other creatures I see around me.
I revelled in the symphony. The erratic crescendo of squirrels as they spiralled around ancient trunks, wrapping the bark momentarily in striped cocoa ribbons. The frenzied tempo of ants as they marched through the mangroves. The stillness of archer fish lurking beneath the lagoon surface. Crocodiles hissing and huffing their base chords, mouths agape to release heat from their armoured bodies. Did you know, Shi, that crocodile teeth can grow back up to fifty times in one lifetime.
In my creature muses I found a serenity missing from my two-legged neighbours, a purity at odds with the sickly local malaise.
Where the book is weakest is in its account of the affairs of us two-legged human beings. One stereotypical gentle, doting, loving, intellectual father figure was fine, but when a second one came along I have to admit I wasn’t so enamored. And while I really do appreciate that the book shines a light on the reality of contemporary slavery going on right under our noses in the UK and other first-world countries right this very moment, from a literary point of view I found that whole section wanting.
Overall it’s quite a worthwhile read considering what it does well. I imagine that part will stick with me longer than the memory of what I found less interesting, and remind me to take the time to appreciate the squirrels, birds, dragonflies, fish and other creatures I see around me.
June 18, 2022
Wow, what an incredible story! One of the most memorable reads in a long time written in a style I don’t think I’ve ever come across. Honestly beautiful. Will be recommending to everyone I know. This story has made me look at nature in a different way and inspired me and my husband to book a trip to Sri Lanka !
June 9, 2022
Fabulous novel. So beautifully written.
June 15, 2022
Such a powerful, moving story and the writing style is stunning! A story that stays with you. Never cried , smiled and learnt so much all in one book.
June 16, 2022
Up there with my favourite reads of the year so far, very unique piece.
June 18, 2022
What an incredible journey this was to read. I was genuinely amazed from start to finish with the way this was written - the fascinating animal facts were beautifully presented in a very elegant, flavoursome way of writing. It's been a while since I've read such a great book and it has inspired me to read more about Sri Lanka and visit the "Cinnamon island". Brilliant debut from this author, looking forward to reading more.
August 16, 2022
Such a beautifully written novel. I love the author’s style of writing, so descriptive and captivating. I truly felt that I was on Mila’s journey with her and was enthralled until the end! I couldn’t put ‘Seek The Singing Fish’ down and cannot wait to read Wells’ next novel.
June 30, 2022
Currently reading this amazing novel, what a page turner! The way Roma Wells writes makes you feel like you are experiencing the journey with her. All of your senses will be tingling with her descriptive narrative. She captures the animal kingdom in all of its majestic glory.
July 18, 2022
This book held me captivated fron start to finish. It's so well written I found myself falling into the story, enchanted. It's both heart wrenching and beautiful.
July 21, 2022
I saw someone reading this book on the plane last week and the front cover really intrigued me so decided to order this from Waterstones. It came quickly and I'm usually a fairly slow (I like to say thorough?) reader but ended up finishing it in 2/3 days as it grabbed me right from the very prologue.
The main thing I would mention is that even if you're not into the animal kingdom or Sri Lankan politics etc, the way the author tells the story is simply outstanding. Almost every sentence is put together with such elegance and vividness - possibly one of the most colourful books I've ever read. I was then flabbergasted upon further research to see this author was so young - I genuinely thought it was written by an elderly author with a lifetime of novels under their belt, not a debut. A riveting, and insightful read from start to finish. 5/5
The main thing I would mention is that even if you're not into the animal kingdom or Sri Lankan politics etc, the way the author tells the story is simply outstanding. Almost every sentence is put together with such elegance and vividness - possibly one of the most colourful books I've ever read. I was then flabbergasted upon further research to see this author was so young - I genuinely thought it was written by an elderly author with a lifetime of novels under their belt, not a debut. A riveting, and insightful read from start to finish. 5/5
July 23, 2022
I've just finished this book and was truly sucked into the world of Artemila. As a male I often find it a little harder to get into the mindset of a female protagonist, but her journey really grips you in right from the start. The writing is beautiful and the author has a uniquely talented way of describing even the most mundane (or horrific) moments that really make the words jump off the page. The story cleverly intertwines sections back and forth, so will definitely read this again. Highly recommended to not just animal or history lovers, but anyone who enjoys a great use of language throughout.
July 23, 2022
Fell in love with this book as it made me fall in love with nature again. Since reading this beautiful, heart-wrenching story I’ve definitely carried Mila with me and started noticing beauty in all sorts of little things on my daily walks . The author writes with such passion and style, it’s impossible not to get swept along with the journey. I didn’t realise people still wrote this elegantly! Dark but not depressing. Factually packed yet never boring. My favourite book of 2022 so far!
July 23, 2022
Such a good summer read. Transports you to a tropical island whilst making you see london through a stranger’s eyes. I would throughly recommend.
February 26, 2025
Gripping, brutal, poetically written, and loaded with fun animal facts. Seriously impressive debut!
July 22, 2022
I had been looking forward to reading more Sri Lankan writing and more from the excellent literary fiction publisher Epoque Press and the oppotrtunity was provided by Seek the Singing Fish, a debut novel by Sri Lankan-Irish author Roma Wells. Contemporary Sri Lankan fiction inevitably deals with the long conflict that has ravaged the country, and this book is no exception, as it recounts the story of La, of her disfiguring, losing everything and everyone and coming of age in war-torn Sri Lanka and where to go from there.
La is the daughter of a burgher, a man of European descent, and a native Sri Lankan woman, both cast out of their families because of this relationship. Like her father (and the author), the protagonist is a keen reader and observer of the natural world, where she seeks solace and acceptance. The writing shifts from personal storytelling to commentary about the conflict, Sri Lanka, religion to empathic nature writing. The natural world comes alive in different ways: it informs the sensuous language with imagery from the animal, vegetal and mineral world; it provides acutely observed tales that tell the drama, conflict, struggle, prevarication but also allyship that are found in the natural realm; ultimately, in an effort to show the vitality of nature as actor, it becomes a source of constant comparison with mankind in general, in which inevitably the human species loses out.
While the writing is mostly scintillating and accomplished, sometimes such observations felt a bit naïve (as can happen when trying to present truths on mankind), and the reading a tour de force due to the exuberant writing. The protagonist’s life story and account of war and exploitation is certainly devastating. It has already been noted that the novel becomes more adventurous and plot-driven in the second half, which can make this story more appealing to a wider audience. Somehow it perspires that it is a young voice writing, with the anecdotal form possibly influenced by the type of storytelling found on social media since the author is popular for talking about nature on TikTok. All in all, an interesting debut novel from a promising author on timely issues such as conflict, migration, and redefining our relationship to nature. 3.5 rounded up
September 14, 2022
Beautiful story that weaves the wonder of nature with the horror of war. I would highly recommend
August 9, 2022
I was absolutely blown away by this book. I follow Roma on social media and love her positivity and outlook on nature. I was excited when she revealed she'd written a book and looked forward to reading it.
From hints she made, I was expecting a beautiful tale with 'nuggets' of nature and the animal kingdom thrown in... However, the depth of factual information intertwined with this young woman's plight is wonderful. The speed in which I found myself right there in Batticaloa was amazing. I can almost touch the overwhelming love between the narrator, Artemila, and her Appa - it's so strong it hurts.
I really wasn't prepared for the level of horror and brutality so graphically described in some parts.
it's a fictional story but I'm also well aware that atrocities such as some described have occurred since the beginning of time - and continue to do so. Unfortunately, unless it's on our doorstep, we shut it out.
It's beautifully written, and at the same time educational, inspiring and uplifting.
Highly recommended.
From hints she made, I was expecting a beautiful tale with 'nuggets' of nature and the animal kingdom thrown in... However, the depth of factual information intertwined with this young woman's plight is wonderful. The speed in which I found myself right there in Batticaloa was amazing. I can almost touch the overwhelming love between the narrator, Artemila, and her Appa - it's so strong it hurts.
I really wasn't prepared for the level of horror and brutality so graphically described in some parts.
it's a fictional story but I'm also well aware that atrocities such as some described have occurred since the beginning of time - and continue to do so. Unfortunately, unless it's on our doorstep, we shut it out.
It's beautifully written, and at the same time educational, inspiring and uplifting.
Highly recommended.
April 10, 2023
Beautifully evocative book, stylishly worded, but maybe a couple too many animal similes and metaphors? Also would benefit from a tighter proofread. Bit of a slow start, but the second half flowed nicely. Overall, it was a very enjoyable novel.
July 25, 2022
Best book I've read so far this year - such a unique story and told with such elegant language. I couldn't put it down.
August 22, 2022
Simply magnificent. Beautifully written, I adored this from start to finish.
January 12, 2023
Prepare your heart to be warmed, broken, mended and strengthened all at once. Seek The Singing Fish is a beautifully-written story and the character of Artemila has made a permanent home in my memory banks. Her journey, and perspective have definitely helped shape my own approach to life, both in how I perceive and deal with personal challenges (albeit nowhere near as large as the challenges Mila endures) and in how I treat others.
Roma Wells has a very captivating writing style. Her love and knowledge of nature shines brightly within the pages of this story, which makes the book as educational as it is inspiring. I am looking forward to reading more from this gifted and passionate storyteller.
Roma Wells has a very captivating writing style. Her love and knowledge of nature shines brightly within the pages of this story, which makes the book as educational as it is inspiring. I am looking forward to reading more from this gifted and passionate storyteller.
January 3, 2023
Really enjoyed this book. The writing style was a little different then I'm used to, but I really grew to like it. One of those books you hate to stop reading at night, look forward to reading the next day, and sad when it ends. Can't wait for her next one.
March 5, 2023
Excellent Book
Thus is one one the best books I've ever read. The story is outstanding and very well written. I loved the ending! I truly hope Ms Wells writes more books.
Thus is one one the best books I've ever read. The story is outstanding and very well written. I loved the ending! I truly hope Ms Wells writes more books.
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