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Sri Lanka , 2001. Sam, a poor, dim-witted boy, ekes out an existence with his mother, brothers and sisters in a tiny village too remote for maps. His fortunes change when he gets a job as a housboy in Colombo. But life ins’t all perfect; marring Sam’s peace is Leandro the cook. Sam hates Leandro, not only because he teases him but also because Leandro belongs to the other side- the side that is killing Sam’s people in the war in the North.
With brutal honesty and a wry sense of humour that seems from his simplicity, Sam tell us about the days in life that he never wants to forget and the days he wishes he didn’t remember. Funny and sad at once, this is the tale of contemporary Sri-Lanka about rural and urban life, poverty and corruption, egg hoppers and Christmas parties, boxing dogs and gin and tonics. Sam’s joys are pure, his tragedies heart-wrenching. But he takes them all in his stride, telling at it is.
Set in a country that has been war -ravaged for fifteen years, Elmo Jayawardana’s Sam’s Story is a poignant, powerful and unforgettable debut novel.
‘ A VASTLY SENSITIVE AND GRIPPING EXPERIENCE OF THE “OTHER”…WHOLLY ABSORBING
– Carl Muller
Imprint: India Penguin
Published: Apr/2009
ISBN: 9780143067047
Length : 184 Pages
MRP : ₹250.00
Imprint: Penguin Audio
Published:
ISBN:
Imprint: India Penguin
Published: Apr/2009
ISBN: 9789352141739
Length : 184 Pages
MRP : ₹250.00
Sri Lanka , 2001. Sam, a poor, dim-witted boy, ekes out an existence with his mother, brothers and sisters in a tiny village too remote for maps. His fortunes change when he gets a job as a housboy in Colombo. But life ins’t all perfect; marring Sam’s peace is Leandro the cook. Sam hates Leandro, not only because he teases him but also because Leandro belongs to the other side- the side that is killing Sam’s people in the war in the North.
With brutal honesty and a wry sense of humour that seems from his simplicity, Sam tell us about the days in life that he never wants to forget and the days he wishes he didn’t remember. Funny and sad at once, this is the tale of contemporary Sri-Lanka about rural and urban life, poverty and corruption, egg hoppers and Christmas parties, boxing dogs and gin and tonics. Sam’s joys are pure, his tragedies heart-wrenching. But he takes them all in his stride, telling at it is.
Set in a country that has been war -ravaged for fifteen years, Elmo Jayawardana’s Sam’s Story is a poignant, powerful and unforgettable debut novel.
‘ A VASTLY SENSITIVE AND GRIPPING EXPERIENCE OF THE “OTHER”…WHOLLY ABSORBING
– Carl Muller
Elmo Jayawardena was born and educated in Sri Lanka. He is a pilot and the founder–president of AFLAC International, a humanitarian organization working to alleviate poverty. Whilst flying 747s and running a humanitarian organization, Elmo has carved out time to write two award winning novels. Sam’s Story won the Gratiaen Prize for the best book in Sri Lanka in 2001 and The Last Kingdom of Sinhalay won the State Literary Award for the best book in Sri Lanka in 2005. His most recent book is Rainbows in Braille which was shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize. All proceeds from the sale of his books are channelled to the poor. In 1999 Forbes Global featured Elmo for his humanitarian work, and Reader’s Digest honoured him as an ‘Everyday Hero’ in 2001.