Around the World in 80 Books discussion

Start discussion here for Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera.

Summary (from the publisher)


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 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…
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.
Nayomi Munaweera's 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.


Discussion Questions (from the publisher)


1. In this book, Munaweera takes on the point of views of both a Sinhala woman and a Tamil woman. Why do you think she made this decision? What does it mean to try and express both points of view when the subject is a civil war? Do you think she was more successful in painting one or the other of these women? Which one and why do you think so?

2. Did your reading of the Prologue change after you finished reading the book? How?

3. This is a book partly about the process of immigration. Do you think Munaweera successfully captured the pleasures and pains of immigration? Did she successfully express the divided nature of the immigrant? Did she do so in ways that reminded you of other authors or was the experience of reading this book quite different?

4. This novel has been compared to The God of Small Things, Anil’s Ghost, and The Kite Runner. If you’ve read these books, do you think these are fair comparisons? Why or why not? Are there other authors/books Munaweera’s style reminds you of?

5. Visaka and Ravan’s love is thwarted but their children go on to fall in love. What dose Munaweera seem to be saying about destiny, the acts/sins of parents, the nature of love?

6. The big white house on the seaside in Colombo figures prominently in this book. It is where Visaka grows up, where Yasodhara is brought after she is born and where the Upstairs-Downstairs wars take place. What does this house seem to represent in the book?

7. The riots in 1983 are described as a pivot point in the history of Sri Lanka and in the plot of the book. Were these scenes similar to painful moments in other parts of the world?

8. Saraswathie grows up with aspirations of becoming a teacher. Do you think what happens to her subsequently is plausible? Do you think Munaweera properly describes the process by which a normal girl might become a suicide bomber?

9. The scene of Saraswathie’s rape is extremely traumatic and Munaweera has admitted that it was quite difficult for her to write. Do you think the scene was necessary in the book or should literature stay away from depicting the most painful events in a character’s life? Why do you think Munaweera chose to include this scene?

10. Would you describe this book as a feminist work? If so, why?

11. Munaweera has admitted that this is a book obsessed with food. Did you find this to be true? Did the book make you interested in finding out more about Sri Lankan cuisine?

12. What does the ending message of the book seem to be?


About the Author (from the publisher)


NAYOMI MUNAWEERA was born in Sri Lanka, and grew up in Nigeria. She emigrated with her family to the United States in her early teens, and now lives in Oakland, CA. Island of a Thousand Mirrors won the 2013 Commonwealth Book Prize for the Asian Region and was longlisted for the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize. It is her first novel.

This is a well-written book. Tough subject matter, but a very worth-while read.

This book seems interesting...

The previous book I read was the NPRBooks selection: Seasons of Trouble by Author Rohini Mohan. A well-researched well-written book

The Seasons of Trouble: Life Amid the Ruins of Sri Lanka's Civil War

To help understand Root-causes, I've included a link to the brilliant #Documentary on the Library burning which I watched at the Library of Congress (LOC). These are listed under 'Discuss this book' section above.

I really liked both main characters. I think the description of the rape was crucial to explaining why Saraswathie was compelled to do what she did.

This was an interesting book and I do love reading books where I learn something; before reading this I didn't know anything about the civil war in Sri Lanka. But I can't say that reading the book was a pleasure as the violence within it was awful....probably very real but it was horrible and gave me some bad dreams. The characters on the Sinhala side were developed more than the Tamil side which I think was a shame as it then didn't give a particularly balanced view. Overall, a good book but I couldn't recommend due to the violence.

I wish the author would have included more historical background as to how and why the Tamil were discriminated against by the Sinhalese (besides saying that their skin color is black). For instance, I read somewhere that after independence, "a rule had been put in place that certain jobs were not open to Tamils, because Tamils being only 15% of population but occupying 75% government jobs because of their literacy." Thus, the Tamil Tiger leader emerged.

It would have been interesting if she added a bit more info on the Tamil Leader Prabhakaran. It seemed to me that towards the end of the novel, the Tamil protagonist was really brainwashed into believing that the leader was some kind of God that she wanted to devote her life to and serve him. Very sad.

I think the main takeaway from this book, is that during war things get very complicated and there's not clear cut between "the good side" and "the bad side". Both sides commit atrocities during the war. However, I thought it was weird that she added to quote from the returning president in the end of the story, which said something along the lines of "let's not talk about the past and open wounds, let's instead look ahead and move forward as a nation". I sincerely believe it is important to understand one's history first, before trying to move forward. History is here so that we can learn from the past and avoid making mistakes in the future. I read in an interview with the author, that the Sri Lankan government (like most countries around the world) isn't particularly interested in a Truth and Reconciliation effort, and that nowadays, it's the Sri Lankan Muslims that are often targeted... Here is the interview: http://therumpus.net/2014/10/the-rump...

In regards to Question 11, yes the description of the food was very mouth-watering. I google-imaged some Sri Lankan food.

Also, did anyone else think that the second half of the book included too many unnecessary love scenes and melodrama?

It's a good book for people who have no knowledge about what happened in Sri Lanka.

ISLAND OF MIRRORS:
What effect woukd more historical detail have had on the plot development?

I always do historical research concurrently as I read an historical novel so that I have some understanding of significant events.

I loved this book because I remember hearing regular news reports on the BBC during the civil war strife....

i listened to this like last year - got a review copy - and was drawn in to the story - like others, I have very little knowledge (education based) about the civil war in Sri Lanka - most of mine comes from military training experience etc

What effect would more historical detail have had on the plot development?

Interesting question.

Of course, I wouldn't like the author to explain the entire historical timeline in the story.

Instead I very much prefer if the author presents "history" in the "vernacular" language, meaning how do the people remember "history" (aka their memories), instead of what the government or politicians declare to be history.

In the case of "Island of a Thousand Mirrors," the Tamil side of the story felt very "half-baked." Therefore, I thought that adding a bit more Tamil history/memory (for instance on the Tamil leader or the Tamil diaspora) would have made the novel more balanced.

Missy,
you made a good point: "instead of what the government or politicians declare to be history."

I included some balanced resources under the section 'Discuss this book' which I hope helps everyone?

Also I included LINK to the Award-winning British Channel4 news documentary on this.




Missy J wrote: "What effect would more historical detail have had on the plot development?

Interesting question.

Of course, I wouldn't like the author to explain the entire historical timeline in the story.

I..."