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There are currently 22 member reviews
for What Lies Between Us
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Kate S. (Arvada, CO)
What Lies Between Us
Nayomi Munaweera has an amazing gift of being able to blend beautiful writing with heart wrenching topics. Often such stories are too difficult to read, but her ability to draw the reader in and keep them captivated is what makes her such a talented author. Like her first novel,"island of a thousand mirrors" this book takes place in Sri Lanka as well. Yes, part of the story takes place in the United States, but some of the most pivotal scenes take place in Sri Lanka.
I enjoyed this novel as much as her first one, which I recommended to my book club as a "great discussion" novel.
I would recommend this book, and am thrilled to have found a new author to follow.
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Barbara L. (Novato, CA)
What Lies Between Us
I loved this book. I read it while on a romantic getaway with my wonderful husband, and found myself sneaking away to read just one more chapter!
The story line of a young girl growing up in Sri Lanka and the circumstances of her emigration to the United States was mesmerizing. The beautiful language was poetic and lyrical. Yet all the while one was reading this story, one knew there was darkness to come. But the final twist was both unexpected and satisfying.
I would recommend this book highly to all!
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Ginny B. (Lansdale, PA)
deeply moving
I am a great lover & collector of poetry. As I read this book I frequently found myself thinking that it read like poetry. At the end, I put the book down & sat quietly just to let it all settle in my mind & heart. Such a tragic story told with such lyrical beauty & passion! Although the protagonist's voice is that of an adult, the reader clearly hears the child who had no voice, just as she had no name. I was struck by the contrast between the beauty of her environment described so eloquently & the darkness, the ugliness that permeated her life in Sri Lanka. There is no happy ending here, much as there is frequently no happy ending for children such as her, but strangely there may be some measure of peace and acceptance. I highly recommend this book.
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Esther L. (Newtown, PA)
What Lies Between Us
Thank you to BookBrowse for allowing me to preview this remarkable book. It was a beautifully written story filled with profound sadness. It took me awhile to understand the double meaning of the word "lies" in the book's title.
The novel was written as the main character's confession for her unforgivable crime. The demon's of her childhood in the hills of Sri Lanka follow to her new life in California. Her story is a tragic one but fills the reader with compassion.
I also enjoyed her first novel,"Island of a Thousand Mirrors", and look forward to reading Nayomi Munaweera's future work. I will be sharing this book with my daughter .
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Barbara G. (Lisle, IL)
What Happens to the Young Can Have Lasting Effects
At times beautifully lyrical and horrifying, this tale told in the first-person ponders the far-reaching effects of an unspeakable transgression against a very young Sri Lankan girl. Added to this early trauma and the unpredictability and often coldness of her mother, it is easy to understand her post-traumatic stress growing stronger as she grows older, trying to live her life despite what has happened. She has a brief respite when she falls in love with an artist who truly loves her and they have a beautiful little girl. The traumatic event returns to haunt her when her mother tells her what really happened all those years ago and something inside her snaps.
The climactic event may come as a surprise, or not. The reader may want to go back and re-read the early chapters to look for clues. Yet in the end the reader can only be convinced of the great harm that can be done when the innocent are manipulated by those they trust. This book will stay with you for a long time.
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Patricia S. (New Canaan, CT)
Confession of a mother
"Leaving is an act that cannot be undone." This confession is more than the geographical leaving of a young woman who comes of age in Sri Lanka and is then uprooted to live in America. Psychologically she is unable to leave the past behind as she matures, and the story follows all the ups and downs throughout her life. The descriptive writing is like a vivid video, which drew me in quickly as I couldn't put the book down. There were a few times I felt a slight disconnection with the narrator's name not being mentioned until the end, but I could understand the reason for this as I reached that part. Certainly this is a book ripe for discussion and one that will stay with you for a long time.
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Sarah H. (Arvada, CO)
Beauty in the darkness
Sometimes you read to escape, sometimes you read to go deeper into the human experience, perhaps to places darker than anything you have known. This is one of those books, haunting, disturbing yet connected and real, if it were not beautifully written, it may be too hard to read.
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