Rajith Savanadasa

Set in Colombo in the aftermath of the civil war, Ruins is a story of a family in crisis. The generations are in constant conflict over issues big and small, and the old familial certainties don’t seem to fit into the new way of life in a city in transition.

Anoushka is suffering the travails of teenage years, trying to cope with the torment of friendship issues; she has a yearning for an iPod so that she can listen to the kind of music she likes (and her parents disapprove of); Niranjan is hoping to make big money out of his start-up company but he’s hanging around with the wrong crowd. His father Mano is struggling professionally as journalism falters not only because of the digital age but also because of political corruption; Mano’s been neglecting his wife Lakshmi too and she’s got herself tangled up in a risky quest to find a missing Tamil boy.

Savanadasa introduces his Australian readers to an unfamiliar world, one which is strictly gendered, class-based and overtly racist. The book is narrated by each of the five central characters, beginning with the servant Latha whose sense of social inferiority is reinforced in all her daily interactions.

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2016/06/20/ruins-by-rajith-savanadasa/… (mehr)