Reminder: The October meeting is preponed to 30 September due to the public holiday on 7 October 2019.

At this meeting we will be reviewing “Island of a Thousand Mirrors” by Nayomi Munaweera.

“A stunning literary debut of two young women on opposing sides of the devastating Sri Lankan Civil War—winner of the Commonwealth Book Prize for Asia, longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize”.

DATE: Monday 30 September 2019

TIME: 5.45pm – 8.30pm (book discussion to commence around 6.30pm)

VENUE: Cafe 1812, a cafe and wine bar inside Berkelouw Books, 19 Oxford Street, Paddington, NSW 2021. See ‘About the venue’ below.

COST: Pay for your own drinks/ food

RSVP TO: Caroline Frangopoulos at [email protected] or mobile 0420 395996

RSVP BY: 27 September 2019

TRANSPORT:
By Train: 19 Oxford Street, Paddington is a 10-15 minute walk from Museum Station up Oxford Street, located on the city side of the Victoria Barracks. Beware as Oxford St renumbers in each suburb, so walk past 19 Oxford St, Darlinghurst!

By Bus: From the city you can take the following bus routes which all stop opposite the store: 333, 380, 440, or the Metrobus M40.

By Car: Parking
St Vincent’s Hospital Public Car Park, Victoria St. Flat rate AUD 11 after 4pm

About the book:

“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, Yasodhara’s and her siblings’ lives are shaped by social hierarchies, their parents’ ambitions, teenage love and, subtly, the differences between the Tamil and Sinhala people—but this 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…

Saraswathie 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 Ondatjee’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.”

Suspenseful, hopeful, and ultimately redemptive, White Chrysanthemum tells a story of two sisters whose love for each other is strong enough to triumph over the grim evils of war.

Books for upcoming meetings: