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Romesh Gunesekera

Suncatcher

Suncatcher

Regular price LKR 4,460.00
Regular price Sale price LKR 4,460.00
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Type: Hardback
ISBN: 9781526621580

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2020 JHALAK PRIZE

1964. Ceylon is on the brink of change. But Kairo is at a loose end. School is closed, the government is in disarray, the press is under threat and the religious right are flexing their muscles. Kairo's hard-working mother blows off steam at her cha-cha-cha classes; his Trotskyite father grumbles over the state of the nation between his secret flutters on horseraces in faraway England. All Kairo wants to do is hide in his room and flick over second-hand westerns and superhero comics, or escape on his bicycle and daydream.

Then he meets the magnetic teenage Jay, and his whole world is turned inside out.

A budding naturalist and a born rebel, Jay keeps fish and traps birds for an aviary he is building in the garden of his grand home. The adults in Jay's life have no say in what he does or where he goes: he holds his beautiful, fragile mother in contempt, and his wealthy father seems fuelled by anger. But his Uncle Elvin, suave and worldly, is his encourager. As Jay guides him from the realm of make believe into one of hunting-guns and fast cars and introduces him to a girl - Niromi - Kairo begins to understand the price of privilege and embarks on a journey of devastating consequence.

Taut and luminous, graceful and wild, Suncatcher is a poignant coming-of-age novel about difficult friendships and sudden awakenings. Mesmerizingly it charts the loss of innocence and our recurring search for love - or consolation - bringing these extraordinary lives into our own.

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You can skip the shipping fees and collect books directly from our bookshop: Wild & the Sage, 311 Peellagoda, Unawatuna. After placing your order and selecting In-store pickup at checkout, your order will be prepared and ready for pick up within 1 business day. Our in-store pickup hours are 9am-5pm on Tuesday-Sunday.

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Welcome to Wild & the Sage

Wild & the Sage is an independent bookshop on the south coast of Sri Lanka. We stock a range of local and international titles, available for islandwide delivery. Can’t find your favourite? We’re happy to source books to order. We also host regular workshops and events, as well as a monthly book club. Visit us in Galle to try our kitchen’s incredible menu and sip coffee in our garden courtyard. Everyone’s welcome for conversations over cake.

"The book selection is impeccable, could have wandered around and read for hours."

Susanne T (2024)