![]() ![]() In the tradition of Anil's Ghost and The God of Small Things, Nayomi Munaweera's Island of a Thousand Mirrors is an emotionally resonant saga of cultural heritage, heartbreaking conflict and deep family bonds. But her dreams for the future are abruptly stamped out when she is arrested by a group of Sinhala soldiers and pulled into the very heart of the conflict that she has tried so hard to avoid - a conflict that, eventually, will connect her and Yasodhara in unexpected ways. Saraswathie is living in the active war zone of Sri Lanka, and hopes to become a teacher. But Yasodhara's life has already become intertwined with a young Tamil girl's. Yasodhara's family escapes to Los Angeles. This work proposes a reflexion on memorialism and autobiography, using some of Zélia Gattai’s books in particular: Chapéu para viagem (1982), Jardim de inverno (1988), Crônica de uma namorada. As a child in idyllic Colombo, Yasodhara's and her siblings' lives are shaped by social hierarchies, their parents' ambitions, teenage love and, subtly, the differences between Tamil and Sinhala people but the peace is shattered by the tragedies of war. Her first novel, Island of a Thousand Mirrors, won the 2013 Commonwealth Book Prize for the Asian Region, was longlisted for the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize and shortlisted for the DSC. She immigrated to the United States in her early teens and now lives in Oakland, California. ![]() Yasodhara tells the story of her own Sinhala family, rich in love, with everything they could ask for. Nayomi Munaweera was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in Nigeria. ![]() ![]() Summary: "Before violence tore apart the tapestry of Sri Lanka and turned its pristine beaches red, there were two families. ![]()
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