"When the war began, and the young began to die, we had no words for it."

Bookclub read, but I would have read it anyway. It was heartbreaking and taught me so much about the Sri Lanka war and human resilience. I knew nothing about this part of the world, but I feel like I have a new respect for Tamil people.

I had also read 'Enter Ghost' from the Women's Prize Shortlist, which I had loved. 'Brotherless Night' had similar themes but was handled very differently. It seemed that it was more historical, very analytical and factual in the series of events and the way it was written, and yet Sashi's family was the moving force of the book.

The part where Dayalan has died and the narrator explains that there is no rite for the young people who die was the most haunting part for me. 

The title is a masterpiece in itself. The story is threaded around it, around that first night alone, brotherless, and having to make decisions for herself and her grandmother. 

Beautifully written conflict novel about connection and survival. 

Best book I've read in ages.

An emotional, semi-fictional account of the Sri Lankan Civil War. This book does a great job of making such complicated events accessible to the reader. I was rooting for the MC the whole way through and finished this is one sitting.