Extract
“In the shower that night, Mac cannot see Ul’s tears, confused in the hot water and steam. He sits silently on the bed knowing even if they can’t bring themselves to admit it, it’s over. He looks at the items spread out in front of him, a jade elephant, the passports and the Daily News screaming, ‘New Era, Nationalists Ushered In’ and below it, ‘No Comment from the Wanni.’

He hears the taps turn and the water stop. She comes back into the room, naked, with a towel around her shoulders. She sits on the bed next to him. They both stare at the tanks below, mute.

Then he says gently, ‘Ul, 1968 is a year, Sri Lanka’s a country… we’re together, that’s what matters.’”

‘An impressive novel-ambitious in scope, complex in structure, strong on character and evocative in atmosphere. Scene after scene comes to vivid, breathing life.’ - Barry Oakley, Australian novelist and playwright