In December 2004, Sonali, her British husband Steve and her
two English sons, Vikram and Malli were vacationing in the southwest part of
Sri Lanka, visiting her parents for the holidays. On December 26th,
a 30-foot wave caused by a massive tsunami, swept over her hotel killing her
parents, husband and children. This memoir recounts Sonali’s intense and
sometimes unbearable struggle to come to terms with the pain of her loss.
I’ve been excited to read Wave a memoir by 2004
tsunami survivor, Sonali Deraniyagala since it first became available in stores
earlier this year. This book was far
from what I expected it to be. It was raw, honest and lacking any sense of
romanticism. Whilst reading along, I found myself relating to Sonali’s “subdued”
reaction in the aftermath of the disaster and upon learning the fate of her
young family. In her own way, she was preparing herself mentally for her new incomprehensible
reality. I find myself wondering what coping mechanisms I would employ to
salvage my sanity if put in Deraniyagala’s shoes. Her perseverance and resolve to
keep the memories of her family alive speaks volumes of our minds’ capacity for
acceptance and recovery.
I enjoyed this book immensely because of the author’s
surprisingly calm and lucid voice. Her ability to navigate between her past
life and present reality through flashbacks and visions was both comforting and
a little unnerving. At the same time, I appreciate that none of her experiences
were sugar coated or embellished for the readers’ sake. After turning the last
page, I was left feeling melancholy, optimistic for the future and most of all,
relieved that our roles were not reversed. I doubt I would have had the
strength of spirit to overcome all that Sonali has in her life.
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