Robin D Harris

I wanted to like this book, but . . . I didn't really. The beginning was good--it opens with Lola waking up to a room that's filling with water--neither she, nor the reader knows why at that point. It's a strong opening, but I felt confused about what was happening and why and even where we were for too long. I didn't know why it was so important that they find Ama and/or Nick. (Though apparently Nick was a westerner and a coworker of Lola's, but that wasn't revealed until a ways into the work.) There were also many typos in the copy I received. (The most memorable: at one point, Superman dates Louis Lane! And I'd have thought it was a dialogue thing to indicate an odd pronunciation, but not too much later the author correctly uses Lois Lane in dialogue, so I'm left to conclude it was a typo.)

I guess I didn't really understand the reason behind the work until I got to the end. I purposely didn't read an online summary prior to reading the copy provided. I did note that there were often references to men and women but it wasn't until the very end that I understood what the purpose behind the story was--to show that men in Sri Lanka selfishly did and took what they wanted even if it meant women and children perished or went without or were considered "damaged goods". Women in the camps had no protection--even the guards were of little to no help.

Of course, this wasn't limited just to Sri Lankan men. A Western doctor takes advantage of Lola--perhaps even drugging her with a rufie, and Nick apparently raped Ama and may have raped others too (I wasn't clear on that during Lola's conversation with her boss.)

I think I might have liked the work better had I understood the reason behind the writing earlier on.

I received a copy of this as a Member Giveaway in exchange for an honest review.… (mer)