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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
I rarely write reviews, but this was one of the most profound books I have ever read. Deraniyagala's retelling of the wave was haunting and also informative to me as I am interested in disaster relief. But I was most honored to read about all of the memories that she shared with her family prior to that awful day. This book reads as a beautiful eulogy, not only to these specific individuals lost, but to all humans who have been lost. It is a poignant reminder to pay attention to the small moments of joy and calm and even impatience that you have with your loved ones while they are with you. This book reminds me of that idea of seeing your life pass before your eyes before you die. What will you remember? All those little moments. The laughter, the minor annoyances, the beauty of the mundane. Deraniyagala lets us into her world here so that we might be able to see ours clearer.
While parts of this book are full of agony, I personally read it as a hopeful message. Not in the sense that "everything is fine", but in the sense that, if you can face horrible grief with a brave heart, you will also eventually be able to access the deep love that lives there. Since loss and death are an inevitable part of being human, this memoir felt deeply human to me.
In response to some of the critical comments here regarding the author's privilege, I would suggest watching her "Clinton School Speakers" talk from 2013, as she addresses this directly (starting around the 26 minute mark). She is aware of this and, as an economist, she now studies and calls attention to how disasters impact communities in poverty: Clinton School Speakers: Wave | Sonali Deraniyagala | 2013
While parts of this book are full of agony, I personally read it as a hopeful message. Not in the sense that "everything is fine", but in the sense that, if you can face horrible grief with a brave heart, you will also eventually be able to access the deep love that lives there. Since loss and death are an inevitable part of being human, this memoir felt deeply human to me.
In response to some of the critical comments here regarding the author's privilege, I would suggest watching her "Clinton School Speakers" talk from 2013, as she addresses this directly (starting around the 26 minute mark). She is aware of this and, as an economist, she now studies and calls attention to how disasters impact communities in poverty: Clinton School Speakers: Wave | Sonali Deraniyagala | 2013
This is a moving book, written from a place of courage and determination I can not fathom. Sonali Deraniyagala has written a powerful tribute to her sons, Vik and Malli, her husband, Steve, and her parents, all of whom died in the tsunami that struck Sri Lanka on December 24, 2004. The book is both memorial to the life Sonali lost as well as, as I imagine it, a therapeutic journey through her grief and pain. I honestly feel there are no words I can type to "critique" or "review" this book, because of the huge amount of respect I have for Sonali for writing it. Besides, it is beautifully written. As I said, the courage it must have taken to write this book, bringing back memories good and bad as well as knowing the public would now be privy to her
innermost thoughts (and judgemental as a consequence) takes tremendous strength. This book broke my heart while making it soar at the same time.
innermost thoughts (and judgemental as a consequence) takes tremendous strength. This book broke my heart while making it soar at the same time.
What a sad yet beautiful book. I can't imagine the pain this woman went through, losing her husband, kids, and parents in the 2004 tsunami. She's very honest about her anger and depression. Great book.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
When your two sons, husband and parents are killed by the tsunami that struck Asia on December 26th, 2004, how do you go on living? That is the question Sonali Deraniyagala tried to answer in her moving memoir about the events and the years following called Wave. I can't even begin to get my mind around the stunning loss of her family in a matter of moments. She says that she wanted to die and I can't imagine than anyone would feel any other way after that, but what I learned was that for her remembering them and staying as close to those memories as possible is what has helped her carry on. I don't think she's healed or moved on, but she's found a way to keep living without them. And in the end, what I loved most about her memoir is that I felt it turned into a beautiful love letter to her family. All I could think about as I read it was how great I thought her family was and how I wished I could have known them.
An extremely heart-wrenching and unflinching account of the author's personal tragedy. She accounts the loss of her family and the subsequent aftermath with honesty and deftness. It was clear by the end of the book she is still reeling from the loss of her husband, children, and parents, but she has began a new step in the grief process. This book illustrates the immense impact losing a loved one can have on a person whether it be one's own children, spouse, parents, siblings, and friends. It is difficult, confusing, and doesn't seem to get better in time. I admire and respect the author to be so willing to share this harrowing story with the world.
The author lost her 2 young sons, husband, and parents in the Indian Ocean tsunami in Sri Lanka in 2004. Wave is her memoir. It’s a journey through grief, detailed descriptions of her memories of her family, and a little bit of her life after the wave. It’s a beautifully written and heart-wrenchingly painful.