Seek the Singing Fish

De: Roma Wells

Narrado por: Sharmila Devar

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.

©2021 Roma Wells (P)2024 Tantor

Civil War, But So Much More (10/10)

I originally purchased the physical copy of this book with the intent of reading it the traditional way one reads books, however shortly after I received my copy, less than a week later my daughter was born, and since I really wanted to experience the story in some way, I got the audio book as well, and honestly, from a person that bought the book twice, I can happily say that its worth reading or listening to, as it is as beautifully read as it was beautifully written.

I'm not going to give a synopsis of the story as I feel it's a journey that you, the reader and the author Ms. Wells must go on together, however I will say that through enjoying this story, my perspective on war has changed, I feel, for the better. I couldn't necessarily articulate how I felt about it before, perhaps I had become desensitized to hearing about it as many have who have never had to deal with it outside of a TV screen or from behind a video game controller. The struggles that the Sri Lankans face throughout especially the first part of the story are surprisingly just as eye opening as the struggles they silently face when the wars seem over near the end, and you begin to think about just how much the pains of war can ripple through a family, a community, a country, and how it really doesn't end for the survivors long after the weapons are lowered.

While this book does touch significantly on the civil war between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, I feel at it's heart this book is about the long road of learning to love and accept yourself, and occasionally allowing yourself to open up your heart and trust others (certainly not everyone though, oh Lord definitely not *everyone*), and in keeping true to herself, our tour guide on this trip does a wildly good job of making these points while drawing parallels from different species all throughout the animal kingdom.

Sharmila Devar does a wonderful job breathing life into a story that's already teeming with life, and through the emotion in her voice, really makes you feel like you are there, seeing what they are seeing; the good, the bad, and the beautiful.

If you're reading this, I hope you'll give this story a chance and seek the singing fish as well, as it's definitely a story worth hearing, and I look forward to more stories from Ms. Wells in the future.