Song of the Sun God by Shankari Chandran

Later, we see the Sri Lankans who have moved to foreign countries being amused by frequent questions such as “Do you know English?” Somehow it is a shock to many foreigners that people from countries colonized by the British for years know English. This divide is beautifully portrayed throughout the book and made me well up. And the rift between the two communities deepens as the years pass by. If the Tamils didn’t learn Sinhalese, they would never be able to live as equals in Ceylon. The school students were categorised by their swabhasha or ‘native language’. Language plays a major role in the rise of segregation of different communities in Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Few pages in, I knew this would be a five star read and I am happy to report back that it is a stunner of a book indeed. Naturally I went into it with a doubtful heart wondering if it is a hyped book. That is when I heard of this book and the author for the first time and Sharanya’s praise for the book made me very curious. Sharanya Manivannan, author of the wonderful short story collection, The High Priestess never marries, ( read review) recommended this novel to me. What a fabulous book! Actually I want to write nothing more than this line as a review. Shankari Chandran balances the emotional trauma of displacement, the agony of not being accepted by your countrymen, the nostalgia of a language, the choices mothers make for their children and the love between sisters, with ease. She gives up her child to Priya who is now happily married and settled abroad. Dhara is raped and gives birth to a daughter named Smrithi. Both Rajan and Nala love and care for all the three kids, but the civil war shatters the family. When the riots break out, they adopt Dhara, daughter of Nala’s cousin, Mohan. Rajan and Nala are happily married with two kids, Priya and Nandan. Song of the Sun God begins in Colombo in 1932 and ends in Sydney in 2010 and within its pages is a country’s history and the way it moulded the story of a family.

Song of the Sun God by Shankari Chandran