First published 2008
Yalini stands at the crossroads between her parents' expectations and her own desires. Her Sri Lankan family recognizes only two types of unions: marriages arranged by elders and marriages chosen by the heart. As a young woman shaped by all the ancestors who came before her, Yalini carries the weight of generations in her blood. Her Tamil and Sinhalese parents fled Sri Lanka after the devastating ethnic violence of 1983, seeking better lives for their children in the West. But the opportunity they imagined looks nothing like what their daughter now faces. They watch as Yalini and her generation break free from ancestral obligations, embracing Western ideas about love and partnership. The parents who sacrificed everything to give their children choices now struggle to accept those very choices. Yalini must decide whether to honor the marriage traditions that sustained her family for generations or forge her own path in a country where those ancient rules no longer apply. Her decision will determine not just her future, but how much of her heritage she keeps or leaves behind.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century, asian-american, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: cultural-conflict, family-obligations, generational-divide
Setting: Sri Lanka, West
Period: 1983
324 pages · Kindle Edition · Weidenfeld & Nicolson