Tab Article
Ratings: ★★★★☆(4.3/5)
Genre: Literary Fiction/Historical Fiction /Romance /Political Drama /Sri Lankan Literature
Book Review:
''July'' by Karen Roberts is a startling, compelling novel set during the tragic events of July 1983 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The story centers on Priyanthi Silva and her brother, who grow up in the beautiful Araliya Gardens neighborhood. When Priyanthi falls in love with the young son of their neighbors, the match is deemed unthinkable by both families and by a society deeply divided by ethnic tensions.
The novel masterfully weaves together a forbidden romance with the escalating political violence of the time. As the mobs begin to hunt and murder their neighbors, the dark secret the young lovers have been hiding leads to betrayal and tragedy. Roberts captures the sudden eruption of hatred and the way it changes lives forever.
This is a moving across-the-barricades love story that explores war, love, and the insanity of ethnic divisions. The Times calls it ''a novel about war and love and the insanity of ethnic divisions.'' Highly recommended for readers interested in Sri Lankan literature, historical fiction, and powerful love stories set against political turmoil.
