msjoanna's review against another edition
3.0
A solid first novel told in short stories that make it an ideal choice for reading on short subway rides and other interrupted travels. I know nothing about Sri Lanka or its history, and was captivated by the story of the family told in this book. The book occasionally used Capital Letters to define terms (e.g., Love Marriage...Heart), which I found more irritating than effective. Definitely an enjoyable read.
chajara's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the multi-generational story of this Sri Lankan family and how war and immigration truly weave the narrative of a family. The author writes in easy, poetic prose. It does get a bit confusing about who is who, but there is a handy little family tree in the front of the book that I referred to quite often.
nith's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
ifthebook's review against another edition
4.0
A lovely, quiet look at growing up the child of immigrants and all that entails. I really enjoyed this one.
Find my full review here.
Find my full review here.
camillejoy's review against another edition
3.0
I would not have finished this book if I hadn't been reading it for a review. Here is the LibraryThing Early Reviewer Review I wrote:
This book explores the story of a family across time, geography, and culture. It is told from the perspective of the daughter of Sri Lankan immigrants, Yalini, who struggles with what it means to exist in two cultural worlds.
The book is full of historical information about the Tamil Tigers and the political history of Sri Lanka. Unfortunately this historical information is not balanced with enough narrative to make it truly compelling.
Because the stories of many different members of the family are told throughout the novel, it is hard to get attached to any character. Yalini's voice is drowned out as she relates historical events and tells the stories of relatives she's never even met.
For a work dealing with Sri Lankan history and culture, I much prefer "Anil's Ghost" by Michael Ondaatje.
This book explores the story of a family across time, geography, and culture. It is told from the perspective of the daughter of Sri Lankan immigrants, Yalini, who struggles with what it means to exist in two cultural worlds.
The book is full of historical information about the Tamil Tigers and the political history of Sri Lanka. Unfortunately this historical information is not balanced with enough narrative to make it truly compelling.
Because the stories of many different members of the family are told throughout the novel, it is hard to get attached to any character. Yalini's voice is drowned out as she relates historical events and tells the stories of relatives she's never even met.
For a work dealing with Sri Lankan history and culture, I much prefer "Anil's Ghost" by Michael Ondaatje.
carlyque's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like it--somehow there would be very evocative passages, but it was impossible to keep the characters straight. I don't need a plot driven book, but hard to follow book's coherence.
hazelpine's review against another edition
3.0
The story was so good and informative. But I didn't find it totally cohesive. The narrator only exposes herself to us at the very end, and it is somewhat unsettling, and I don't feel if all of the stories fit together. However the content is wonderful.
meenakshisankar's review against another edition
4.0
This debut novel by the author is set in Srilanka, and follows the life of Yalini, who left the island nation in 1983, on the day of the violent racial outburst against the Tamils, living with her parents in the USA. She tries to strike a delicate balance between the traditions of her ancestors and the attractions of the modern world she has adopted. She, a practicing physician in the US, is summoned to Toronto to care for her uncle who has left the Tamil Tigers organization and is counting his final days due to cancer. Her friendship with her uncle’s daughter, and her ruminations about her extended family’s struggles due to their displacement across the globe and the violence in their lives is powerfully illuminated. She explores the spectrum of love marriages and arranged marriages across the four generations of family members. Very poignantly and beautifully written.
rekhainbc's review against another edition
4.0
Nice short read, told me a lot about Sri Lankan Tamils and what it is to be Tamil...
ryner's review against another edition
2.0
Yalini is a young woman whose family emigrated from Sri Lanka during the Sri Lankan civil war, and she narrates the stories of her relatives and ancestors.
The stories of are presented in no particular order with respect to timeline and characters, and I found it challenging to keep track of who was who. For the size of the book, Love Marriage took me a disproportionate amount of time to get through. It is essentially a lot of background information and no plot -- not my kind of fiction book.
The stories of are presented in no particular order with respect to timeline and characters, and I found it challenging to keep track of who was who. For the size of the book, Love Marriage took me a disproportionate amount of time to get through. It is essentially a lot of background information and no plot -- not my kind of fiction book.