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Carolyn S. (Decatur, GA)
(04/15/14)
Island of a Thousand Mirrors
This books gives one a excellent portrayal of the cultural and ethnic differences faced by the people in Sri Lanka during their war. The characters are engaging and the descriptions leave an impression. However, with many characters to follow and changing from past to present, it is difficult to keep the time periods and characters from getting confused.
Barbara T. (Cumberland, ME)
(04/13/14)
Heart-wrenching Insights
Although I am an avid reader of novels about other cultures, I found myself reading Island of a Thousand Mirrors with a mix of interest and confusion. Nayomi Manaweera weaves this multi-family saga masterfully; the author is to be praised for offering sensitive insight into the Sinhala-Tamil conflict. Unfortunately, there is also some confusion in the telling. Like any story with unfamiliar 'foreign' names, this book constantly challenges the reader to keep the characters properly related. Separate anecdotes are related side-by-side, switching back and forth sometimes abruptly. About 100 pages in, just when I thought I understood the relationships, a man Thatha is mentioned for the first time and the reader is expected to know him. I actually stopped to look up the word, as I suspected it was a term of familial endearment; yes, Thatha is Tamil for Grandfather. Many pages later I deduced that Thatha is the narrator's father, whom the reader has known since the first chapter. He is no one's grandfather, however, so my research was misleading. I experienced more confusion when, in Part Two, Saraswathi comes into the story. As events unfold, the author hints that Saraswathi recognizes one of the women from Part One. I still haven't figured out that connection, although I've read the book through to the end twice now. All this said, I do highly recommend this book. Ms. Manaweera has created a heart-wrenching, insightful portrayal of the all-too-human tribal conflict in Sri Lanka. It's worth muddling through the confusion.
Pam M. (Lake Mary, FL)
(04/13/14)
Thought and emotion provoking novel
This novel tackles 'love and war' from a primarily female perspective offering insights from opposing perspectives. The language is rich, descriptive and compelling, as is the storyline. A fast and rewarding read, it was both thought provoking and emotionally engaging. Centering on the disturbing conflict in Sri Lanka, relationships and families are woven close together on one hand, divided and torn apart on the other. As a central character tried to explain the situation, "It is a war between equally corrupt forces . . . clear distinctions . . . moral certainty . . . " does not exist.
I discovered that I tend to read too fast! This novel encouraged me to slow down in order to more fully appreciate and better understand the cultural and behavioral opposites at work, as well to simply appreciate and enjoy the work of this creative wordsmith.
Becky H. (Chicago, IL)
(04/12/14)
Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera
I enjoyed the writing which was clear and moving. The descriptions of the island were wonderful, not just the physical beauty but the smells of food, people and nature. I felt like I really knew the characters. I hope the final edition has a "cast of characters" as it was difficult to keep the various families and generations straight, especially as they were seemingly unrelated as the narrative moved from generation to generation and Sinhala to Tamil and back again. I learned a vast amount about the Sri Lankan history of civil violence.
Book groups will find themselves discussing discrimination, arranged marriage, ethnic differences, education, parental desires for their children, the life of the immigrant in a new land, jealousy between siblings, soldier versus terrorist, the effect of violence on people and culture, and the sense of smell. Some groups may find the descriptions of sexuality (including violent rape) disturbing.
Jan Z. (Jefferson, SD)
(04/09/14)
Island of a Thousand Mirrors
Set into the gorgous Sri Lankan backdrop, this magnificent debut novel by Nayomi Munaweera follows the unlikely friendship of children, sisters Yasodhara and La, and the Tamil boy Shiva, into adulthood and the horrors of the Sri Lankan civil war.
Initially when the violence starts to escalate, the families of the children emigrate; Yasodhara and La to the United States and Shiva to London. Later, as adults they return and the course of the novel veers toward a violent and heartbreaking ending with the introduction of Saraswathi, a broken and vengeful Tamil freedom fighter.
This superb novel never takes sides in the conflict and is written with the lushness of all the different Sri Lankan histories and backgrounds. The story relates personal viewpoints of characters reduced to trying to maintain their humanity despite the absurdity of the violence inhabiting their lives. A must read!
Julie G. (West Hartford, CT)
(04/03/14)
Eye Opening View of Sri Lanka
I am often drawn to books about other countries and for that reason was very interested in reading this book. While I was fascinated to learn about the clash between the Tamil and Sinhala people, what particularly struck me was how differently the lives are for women in that culture. Because the author gave more weight to Yasodhara I could relate far more to her dreams, fears, and motivations than I could for Saraswathi. That being said, I found it somewhat hard to be as sympathetic to her as perhaps I should have been. Regardless, however, I think the book is well worth reading.
Rose N. (Saginaw, MI)
(04/01/14)
Island of a Thousand Mirrors
The 'Island of a Thousand Mirrors' is Sri Lanka. In this beautifully written and unforgetable novel, Nayomi Munaweera tells a tale not only of family and romantic love but also of cruel and devastating civil war. This war, which began in 1983 and lasted twenty-seven years, was waged between the Tamil Tigers and the Sinhalese government. This is a story of how the war affects two families...one Tamil and one Sinhala. As described by Munaweera, Sri Lanka should be a lush paradise, but civil war has turned it into a horror where many innocent people have been terrorized and killed. Still, some of the victims of war find love and hope by leaving their beloved island and making life anew in other countries. This novel was truly an educational and inspirational adventure for me.
Lani S. (Narberth, PA)
(03/27/14)
An exploration of war and loss
I was very anxious to read this book after being in Sri Lanka last year and visiting friend's relatives who lived there. Although, the first 80 pages felt like a poorly written soap opera, this dynamic devastating story picked up steam after that and never let down. This heartbreaking wrenching story of two close families, one Tamil and the other Sinhala, torn apart by civil war, becomes brutally alive as one endures reading about the atrocities created in the name of each side's righteous indignation of one another.
How ironic that today, the UN Rights council just approved an investigation into possible war crimes by both the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tiger rebels in the final stages of the 26 year old civil war, ending in 2009, much to the fierce objections of the Sri Lankan government. The ending of the story is neatly tied together to expose the reality that no one is a winner.