Brotherless Night is a fantastic piece of historical fiction showcasing the impact of the Sri Lankan civil war on one young woman and her family. The book opens with 16 year old Sashi living at home with her parents and four brothers. Her oldest brother is studying to become a doctor and Sashi hopes to follow in his footsteps. Over the next decade we see the toll the conflict takes. One brother is killed in anti-Tamil violence and two others join the Tamil Tigers. The war pauses Sachi’s studies but she does eventually get to study medicine and ends up volunteering at a hospital controlled by the Tigers, treating both cadres and civilians. The book did a great job highlighting the complexities of the conflict and the atrocities committed by the Sri Lankan armed forces, the Tamil Tigers (including against their own people) and the Indian peacekeeping forces. It also showed the way the conflict divided families. Sashi also becomes involved in efforts to accurately document the events of the war. The importance of this and the efforts made to verify the accuracy of all accounts was something I can’t recall seeing previously in the books I’ve read. I loved Sashi as a character, particularly the way she was constantly wrestling with her conscience, trying to ensure that the actions she took or didn’t take were right for her - not always an easy feat when she was surrounded by some very passionate and persuasive people. Definitely a book I’d recommend.