Spicezee Bureau
New Delhi, April 11: Roma Tearne, whose first novel was shortlisted for 2008 Kirimaya Prize, is back with another spellbinding tale set in the contrasting landscapes of war-torn Sri Lanka and immigrant London.
‘Bone China’ is a tragic-comic saga of the de Silva family, wealthy Tamil plantation owners who are on the slide mainly due to the drinking and gambling habits of Grace's husband Aloysius.
The story is about the family moving from war stricken Sri Lanka to England, carrying a memory-filled collection of fine bone china which is passed from a grandmother to her granddaughter.
At the heart of this book is the idea that art can express and transform trauma.
Tearne, whose family fled Sri Lanka for England when she was 10, is another successful expatriate writer like Jhumpa Lahiri.
Her first novel ‘Mosquito’ was essentially a love story between a young female artist and a middle-aged novelist, set against the backdrop of the troubles in the island.
First Published: Friday, April 11, 2008, 13:13