This is a book that could entertain both young and old. The diary of a twelve-year-old boy, Deepaka, reminds one of another famous diary, The Diary of Anne Frank which narrated the trials and tribulations of a young girl in Nazi-occupied Holland.
But there the comparison ends and the contrast begins.
Here, the environment both at home and in the neighbourhood is conducive to a high spirited boy's interaction with a host of people drawn from a variety of classes, races and religious groups.
The stories are characterised by Deepaka's energetic and often humorous interaction in the company of his friends, family, extended family, school mates, neighbours vendors, beggars, and a menagerie of animals, chiefly pets and strays.
He sees the truth, like the boy in "The Emperor's New Clothes".
What emerges is not only satire in interaction with the darker figures in the episodes like Mrs. Balawadanasooriya but also a celebration of life where human values are upheld, and where life is lived with the joyous optimism of idealistic youth.
The tapestry of life that Sakuntala weaves has the quality of fable and parable which is achieved by a style which belies its simplicity of expression through the sheer power of her imagination.
Sri Lankan writing has found a new voice that is refreshingly original and authentic. One hopes that Sakuntala will translate this book into Sinhala and Tamil and reach out to a wider circle of readers. |
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