One of the protagonists in particular, is purposefully christened with the highly islandic name of Yashodara Rajasinghe, and she acts as the linking chain for the book’s peripheral characters in the story – namely her sister, Lanka Rajasinghe, her parents and grandparents, and her childhood friend Shiva. The novel is spearheaded by feministic insight, and the author relates the story largely through the eyes of female characters hailing from different generations. Yet while it is blithely unafraid to explore themes of outright controversy in the confines of Sri Lanka (and even beyond), the story is woven with a sense of familiarity and sensitivity – providing rich food for thought for those who find themselves grappling with tough, existential questions – spanning but not limited to ones like: ‘Why are we threatened by change?’ Set in the 1980s amid a civil conflict the island-country still has trouble alienating itself from to this very day, the novel is an incisive reminder of the ravages of war, destruction and loss on one’s psyche and lifestyle.
The substance of Nayomi Munaweera’s award-winning, debut novel, ‘Island of A Thousand Mirrors’, is very much as its title sounds – sharp and reflective.
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