Island of a Thousand Mirrors

By: Nayomi Munaweera

Narrated by: Priya Ayyar

A stunning literary debut of two young women on opposing sides of the devastating Sri Lankan Civil War.

Before violence tore apart the tapestry of Sri Lanka and turned its pristine beaches red, there were two families. Yasodhara tells the story of her own Sinhala family, rich in love, with everything they could ask for. As a child in idyllic Colombo, social hierarchies, their parents’ ambitions, and teenage love shape Yasodhara and her siblings’ lives, and, subtly, the differences between Tamil and Sinhala people; but the peace is shattered by the tragedies of war. Yasodhara's family escapes to Los Angeles. But Yasodhara's life has already become intertwined with a young Tamil girl's.

Saraswathi is living in the active war zone of Sri Lanka and hopes to become a teacher. 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.

In the tradition of Michael Ondatje's Anil's Ghost and Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things, Island of a Thousand Mirrors is an emotionally resonant saga of cultural heritage, heartbreaking conflict, and deep family bonds. Narrated in two unforgettably authentic voices and spanning the entirety of the decades-long civil war, it offers an unparalleled portrait of a beautiful land during its most difficult moment by a spellbinding new literary talent who promises tremendous things to come.

©2014 Nayomi Munaweera (P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Powerful, heartbreaking story. Beautifully written

Any additional comments?

This is not an easy book to read. The story vividly describes horrific tragedies of the Sri Lankan civil war where hatred for the other came with birth. It is a dance of light and dark, love and hate, joy and despair, beauty and the beast.

The author never flinches, taking us deep into the darkest wells of human nature without ever losing the connecting power of love and family and home. Richly detailed from both sides of the conflict, there is no hero other than the resilience of the human spirit and the healing power of love, no villain other than the mindset of “us and them” and the willingness to think violence is a solution.

This must have been a gut-wrenching book to write. It is definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time as I wonder, “Could it happen here?” I highly recommend the audible version brilliantly read by Priya Ayyar.

Great story beautifully written

Loved both the story and the performance . Especially loved the beautiful writing that made the island and the characters come to life. There were a few characters I wished had been developed more especially Maya who seemed to have dropped off the story and then returned. Overall exceptional first novel!

“cowboys and indians” no more

rich storytelling: a personalizing account of inescapably tied families/people before and during the sri lankan civil war. munaweera effectively blurs the “two sides” narrative of conflict - that one is right and the other is wrong - while not shying away from descriptions of love, beauty, pain and loss experienced by many sri lankans and us-bound immigrants.

ayyar’s reading highlights the unique voices munaweera creates through masterful use of cadence and inflections; one feels caught in the refractions of this island of a thousand mirrors through their voice.

ps - i can’t help but use this story as a lens through which to view other ethnic conflicts

Beautiful and devastating tales of Sri Lanka

The first chapter is a lyrical and condensed introduction to the history of this island state. I read this in preparation for my upcoming trip to the country. It is an epic and poetic personal tale of childhood memories in lush tropical gardens, unrequited teenage love, loss from war / terrorism, exile and homecoming. The rich descriptions of the verdant landscapes have me eagerly anticipating my first visit.

Brilliant first novel ...

This was my first listen from a native Sri Lankan authoress. As the book won a prestigious award for a debut novel, I was intrigued by its author and her background from Sri Lanka to Nigeria and then onwards to the USA. As a Sri Lankan living in the USA myself, I really wanted to get into the subject matter covered in the book. From a video I learned that the book took 5 years to complete.

The book is astonishingly good. It intricately weaves the lives of the protagonists through their idyllic upbringing around tropical beach settings contrasted with the tumultuous war stricken northern waste lands and horrendous outcomes. There is so much in this book to devour and it challenged by own views of the Sri Lankan conflict. Throughout the book, we see the face of racism and also heroic compassion at the worst of times. The ending itself is gut wrenching and yet hopes for a brighter future.

If there is a negative, western audiences may be lost on some of the nuances of Sri Lankan culture, its typical idiosyncrasies and humor, as well as some language terms. But that should not deter anyone from enjoying this masterful novel.

Pronunciation

I wish this was read by a Sri Lankan. I understand that our names are difficult to pronounce, but names places are not so hard. Pronouncing the names of people and places properly will add quality to the book

Fantastic

Everything you want in a book. It’s warm and intimate yet heart wrenching and real. Come for the cultural insight, stay for the unfolding of a fantastic story