First published 2017
Yalini lives caught between two worlds at twenty-two. Her Tamil heritage weighs on her with ancestral customs while she tries to build a modern life in Canada. When a dying uncle arrives, everything shifts. Yalini begins digging into her family's past, uncovering stories she never knew existed. Her search leads her deep into the violent chaos that tore through Sri Lanka, the country her family fled. Each revelation brings her closer to understanding why her parents made the choices they did. The discoveries force Yalini to confront not just her family's hidden trauma but her own place between the traditions that shaped her ancestors and the Canadian life she's trying to create. Through learning about Sri Lanka's turmoil, she finally grasps the weight her parents have carried and finds a way to make peace with her divided identity.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 21st-century, asian-american, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: divided-identity, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Canada, Sri Lanka
Period: 21st-century
384 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Distribooks Inc
Content warnings: violence