The Beach at Galle Road: Stories from Sri Lanka

When rumors of a civil war between the ruling Sinhalese and the Tamils in the northern sector of Sri Lanka reach those who live in the south, somehow it seems not to be happening in their own country. At least not until Janaki's sister, Lakshmi -- now a refugee whose husband has disappeared -- comes back to live with her family. And when an American Peace Corps worker who boards with Janaki's family falls in love with his students, a young woman from the north, he, too, becomes acutely aware of the dangers that exist for anyone who gets drawn into the conflict, however marginally.Weaving together the stories of these and other intersecting lives, The Beach at Galle Road explores themes of memory and identity amid the consequences of the Sri Lankan civil war. From different points of view, across generations and geographies, it pits the destructive power of war against the resilient power of family, individual will, and the act of storytelling itself.