"Heaven's edge" by Romesh Gunesekera. This book is published by Bloomsburry in 2003 and has 256 pages.
Marc, British by birth and Srilankan by ancestry, decides to visit the island to trace his roots and know the country. He meets Uva. One day she disappears and he is arrested.
What happens next? Can he escape? Does he meet Uva? Can they be together? Does he like the island?
The book is divided in six sections. First is romance, second is arrest, search and escape, third is temporary refuge. Fourth is escape. Fifth is temporary home. And final is retention of the world he created.
It's a love story on the backdrop of military rule in a war torn country. It's part poetic, part optimistic, part romantic with the harsh reality, devastation and loss of civilization lurking in the background.
The devastation, lack of business, uncooperativeness of locals, loss of civilization, fighting spirit and nature are vividly depicted.
Although the island is Srilanka and all references are there, it's never called by its name. Also the names of fighting factions are missing. Author does not mention who is fighting whom or why. Rather than going into why of the situation, author has concentrated on the after effects.
The book is poetic but bares the pain.
The question Marc grapples with is if violence will gain freedom. He gets his answer at the end by the quirk of fate.
Read if you have lots of patience.
No comments:
Post a Comment