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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Feels incredibly odd and reductive to rate a book like this. This was pure devastation, absolute torture to read – which of course is not a speck on her lived experience, but it speaks of some great strength of character that she could survive the trauma of her loss. This book doesn't feel like a book. It doesn't feel entirely separate, the way books do. It's very close to the source, too close, if that makes any sense; I stopped at some point quite early on perceiving it as a book entirely. Very heavy but no better account of grief and loss and love than this have I read.
emotional
reflective
sad
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
What a beautiful book of deep loss and rebuilding. I cannot begin to imagine the loss and grief that Ms. Deraniyagala experienced but she offers a deeply personal look at her loss and grief in this unflinching and emotional recounting of the loss of her family. I recommend it to anyone interested in understanding profound tragedy.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
challenging
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
I really enjoyed the style of reflection on such a tragic experience from Sonali. She really had me immersed in her experiences of the wave and the aftermath.
On December 26 2004, Sonali Deraniyagala's family was on holiday on the southern coast of Sri Lanka when a Tsunami hit. Sonali's parents, husband and two young sons were killed, leaving her reeling in the aftermath of the tragedy.
I found this book incredibly difficult to push myself through - emotionally. This was a memoir that shook me to my very core and I found myself in tears for the majority of this book. Nobody can possibly understand the sudden loss of losing so many loved ones until they themselves are placed in such a scenario and I could hardly comprehend what Sonali had been through.
The memoir recounts Sonali's immediate experience of the disaster, progressing to seven years after the disaster - covering the jarring grief and pain she felt while coming to terms with her new life. Interweaved with the history of her family, her life in London, her university experience with her husband, the births of her two sons and her childhood in Colombo, this book reflects on a bittersweet past and reaches achingly for a future that can't be. The resulting memoir is both riveting in its descriptions and painful in its authenticity.
The rawness with which Sonali described her immediate thoughts and actions after the disaster, the following months of her life struggling with alcoholism and suicidal thoughts and the darkness of her grief were rendered ever more potent when contrasted to the sweetness and privilege of her life in London and Colombo - from her childhood family holidays, to her son's fascination with birds, her time at Cambridge and her dawn escapades to the London markets with her husband.
I was mildly confused by the number of negative reviews on this book, with many readers considering Sonali self-absorbed, callous and arrogant in her account, particularly in her initial reaction the disaster. An opinion that I share in no way. If anything this rawness is what I appreciated about this book. Sonali does not attempt to lie in anyway about the truth of her emotions - often highlighting her most selfish thoughts. When facing such pain and grief, I can imagine how the last thing on your mind would be the experiences of strangers. Its all well and good to believe that you, yourself wouldn't be so self-centered when placed in this position, but I call bullshit on that. If anything, I also believe that being self-centered in this scenario is not a bad thing - and certainly no justification for a bad review.
I really enjoyed this book. 5 stars.
I found this book incredibly difficult to push myself through - emotionally. This was a memoir that shook me to my very core and I found myself in tears for the majority of this book. Nobody can possibly understand the sudden loss of losing so many loved ones until they themselves are placed in such a scenario and I could hardly comprehend what Sonali had been through.
The memoir recounts Sonali's immediate experience of the disaster, progressing to seven years after the disaster - covering the jarring grief and pain she felt while coming to terms with her new life. Interweaved with the history of her family, her life in London, her university experience with her husband, the births of her two sons and her childhood in Colombo, this book reflects on a bittersweet past and reaches achingly for a future that can't be. The resulting memoir is both riveting in its descriptions and painful in its authenticity.
The rawness with which Sonali described her immediate thoughts and actions after the disaster, the following months of her life struggling with alcoholism and suicidal thoughts and the darkness of her grief were rendered ever more potent when contrasted to the sweetness and privilege of her life in London and Colombo - from her childhood family holidays, to her son's fascination with birds, her time at Cambridge and her dawn escapades to the London markets with her husband.
I was mildly confused by the number of negative reviews on this book, with many readers considering Sonali self-absorbed, callous and arrogant in her account, particularly in her initial reaction the disaster. An opinion that I share in no way. If anything this rawness is what I appreciated about this book. Sonali does not attempt to lie in anyway about the truth of her emotions - often highlighting her most selfish thoughts. When facing such pain and grief, I can imagine how the last thing on your mind would be the experiences of strangers. Its all well and good to believe that you, yourself wouldn't be so self-centered when placed in this position, but I call bullshit on that. If anything, I also believe that being self-centered in this scenario is not a bad thing - and certainly no justification for a bad review.
I really enjoyed this book. 5 stars.
Horrifically sad yet beautifully written. A compelling read about a woman struggling through grief.
challenging
hopeful
sad
fast-paced