Every month we get together with a few fellow readers to chat about a book. We try to alternate between international and local authors and, while the local pool is still growing, we often venture to Sri Lankan diaspora. This month we read a debut novel by New Zealand born author Saraid de Silva titled Amma
WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Amma is an intergenerational saga set between Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Singapore and London. The tale follows the lives of a grandmother, Josephina, mother, Sithra, and granddaughter, Annie and flits between era and location to build the life stories of the three women. Its not without drama as the author weaves in storylines of rape, domestic abuse, rejection, grief, LGBTQ experience, celebrity, racism and ultimately, the lasting effects of trauma
BOOKCLUB THOUGHTS... A very interesting conversation and lots to discuss! I dont think the bookclub would mind me saying that there were two camps, mostly divided by the male members and the female members! With some minor criticisms, the girls in the group unanimously loved the book and the boys were "on the fence". This lead to a great discussion about whether or not a book needs to be relatable for one to really connect with it as this, of course, was a book about three women.
It was widely agreed that the structure was a little jarring at times, we jump from place to place back and forth through time zones and characters - a form we all like but in this case found a tad "extra". We almost all felt that the author dealt with challenging social issues with exceptional insight, particularly the domestic violence case, addressing it with honesty and frankness which is unavoidably moving, similarly with an early scene of sexual assault.
Generally, the group picked up on a few editing errors and inaccuracies. We were lucky enough to have one bookclubber who is from a town close to Iverncargill, New Zealand, where the book is partially set. She felt the portrayal of the town was not quite fitting and when we went on to discuss the scenes set in Sri Lanka, we all agreed were inauthentic and locations (Sigiriya) chosen inappropriately.
We felt the protagonists were written well, with depth, sentiment and detail which meant the plot, though cliché at times, lead well.
CONCLUSIONS This is a character driven book that addresses locally relevant social issues directly and honestly. Its high time these issues were highlighted in current writing and I hope that the book gains traction in Sri Lanka. I think someone with a female experience will feel this book more deeply than those without but i think its equally important for all to read it.
It's a cracking debut from Saraid De Silva and we hope she writes more!