This book was incredible. It centres around the life of Sashi during a period of immense conflict and it gives an incredibly important insight into the lives of people who lived through those events. There is no hard-line of "protagonist" or "antagonist" in the plot, and I'm glad it's this way. You get to understand the characters, regardless of whether you agree with their choices. You get to experience the determination and devastation each character faces in their own journeys. 

Although not from Sri Lanka, this book really resonated with me as a South Asian person, I was reminded too many times of experiences my parents and grandparents would relay to me. 

The author captivates you, the reader, and you go through a roller coaster of emotions as you grow with and experience the struggles of the characters in this book. Whilst I really wished the ending had more detail to it, so that we could find out more about the lives of the characters afterwards, I'm glad it ended the way it did because it reflects the reality of things.