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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
I received this book as a belated Christmas gift from my mother yesterday afternoon and finished it by last night, crying the whole way through. An incredibly moving memoir of a woman who lost her two kids, husband, parents and friend in the 2004 tsunami. Her miraculous survival of the event will forever torture her as she figures out how to live without "her life." So powerful. My one criticism, and maybe it's not fair, is that despite how detailed the book is, there's still detail missing about how she rebuilt life outside the emotional challenges.
What a powerful, uncensored memoir of a woman who lost her husband, two little boys and her parents in a tidal wave in 2004. It rips your heart out as she writes honestly not holding anything back. I am more grateful for my life after reading her story.
I loved this book for many reasons, especially for her portrayal of real grief. Grief is not sadness alone. Deraniyagala conveys the truth that grief’s layers also include chaos, rage, and disorientation.
On the morning of December 26, 2004, Sonali, was gathering her family together to leave their hotel in Yala, a national park on the southeastern cost of Sri Lanka. "The ocean seemed a little closer to our hotel than usual. That was all," Then she saw the wave. Sonali, lost her husband, two young sons and her parents in the tsunami that she, miraculously and reluctantly, survived. I found this book on a list of Best Books of 2013. A frank, unsentimental and beautiful account of her grief and her reluctant emergence back to life as it was after her losses.
medium-paced
If you’re looking for a profound emotional experience in a book, this could be it. It’s intense, haunting, and beautifully written. The author was on vacation, in a beach hotel in Sri Lanka, with her entire family – her parents, husband, and two sons – when the 2004 tsunami hit. She was the only one who survived.
She begins by describing the event itself, the shock of it. Then she moves into the following days, when she was lost her hold on reality for a long time. Gradually, she finds her feet again, and learns to accept that she is indeed alive. At this point, she is able to remember her family, and she shares those memories with the reader, so that we know them as well. She writes sharply, honestly, often humorously, without being sentimental.
She begins by describing the event itself, the shock of it. Then she moves into the following days, when she was lost her hold on reality for a long time. Gradually, she finds her feet again, and learns to accept that she is indeed alive. At this point, she is able to remember her family, and she shares those memories with the reader, so that we know them as well. She writes sharply, honestly, often humorously, without being sentimental.
Read for a class.
An interesting memoir--though deeply tragic. A great insight into the mind of someone who is experiencing extreme grief and trauma. The writing was a little jerky and I found the constant time jumps to be abrupt, but I did enjoy the book overall.
An interesting memoir--though deeply tragic. A great insight into the mind of someone who is experiencing extreme grief and trauma. The writing was a little jerky and I found the constant time jumps to be abrupt, but I did enjoy the book overall.
The author of this book lost her parents, her husband, and her two young sons in the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka. Heavy.
Wonderful writing - compelling tale - very, very sad.
This was a tough book to read, but beautifully written and compelling.