When Grace de Silva's once-prominent family loses their vast tea estate, she has little idea how everyone's life in her lush, Eden-like homeland of Sri Lanka is about to change. Her children dream of escape—Jacob, the eldest, wants desperately to go to England; Thornton longs to become a poet; Alicia wants to be a concert pianist. But civil unrest is brewing and Christopher, the youngest of the de Silva children, is soon caught up in the violence and tragedy that follows.
Against a backdrop of escalating ethnic conflict, Grace watches helplessly as the life she knows begins to crumble. Slowly, this once-inseparable family is torn apart as they make the decision to emigrate to England.
In London, the de Silva's are all, in their different ways, desperately homesick. Caught in a cultural clash between the traditional life they knew in the East and the jarring modernity of the West, life is not what any of them had dreamed of. Only Meeka, the first of the de Silva family to be born in England, moves confidently through a world that is full of possibilities. But even her life is not as easy as it often seems to her immigrant family. Only after she has overcome heartbreak and a terrible mistake can she finally see the extraordinary effects of history on her family's migration.
This beautifully crafted story of hope and survival will appeal to all readers of White Teeth and The Inheritance of Loss.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Roma Tearne is a visual artist and author of two novels, her most recent being Mosquito. She was born in Sri Lanka and has lived in Britain since the age of 10. She completed her MA at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art. From 2002 to 2003, she was artist in residence at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. She has also been artist in residence at Modern Art, Oxford. She lives in Oxford, UK.
"They''re an eccentric family and Tearne''s portrait of them is simultaneously sharp-eyed and empathetic . . . I felt myself identifying with the characters . . . It was a book that made me laugh and cry. I enjoyed my time with it and was left with a sense of my horizons having been broadened."
-"The Sydney Morning Herald"
"Probing loss and memory amid violence and displacement . . . Tearne deftly reveals the corrosive effects of civil strife on private lives and the redemptiveness of art."
"- The Guardian"
"Bone China is well-paced and nicely plotted, with flashes of brilliant lyrical writing."
"-Scotland on Sunday"
"They're an eccentric family and Tearne's portrait of them is simultaneously sharp-eyed and empathetic . . . I felt myself identifying with the characters . . . It was a book that made me laugh and cry. I enjoyed my time with it and was left with a sense of my horizons having been broadened."
-"The Sydney Morning Herald"
"Probing loss and memory amid violence and displacement . . . Tearne deftly reveals the corrosive effects of civil strife on private lives and the redemptiveness of art."
"- The Guardian"
"Bone China is well-paced and nicely plotted, with flashes of brilliant lyrical writing."
"-Scotland on Sunday"
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
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Paperback. Condition: Very Good. An epic novel of love, loss and a family uprooted, set in the contrasting landscapes of war-torn Sri Lanka and immigrant London. Grace de Silva, wife of the shiftless but charming Aloysius, has five children and a crumbling marriage. Her eldest son, Jacob, wants desperately to go to England. Thornton, the most beautiful of all the children and his mother's favourite, dreams of becoming a poet. Alicia wants to be a concert pianist. Only Frieda has no ambition, other than to remain close to her family. But civil unrest is stirring in Sri Lanka and Christopher, the youngest and the rebel of the family, is soon caught up in the tragedy that follows. As the decade unfolds against a backdrop of increasing ethnic violence, Grace watches helplessly as the life she knows begins to crumble. Slowly, this once happy family is torn apart as four of her children each make the decision to leave their home. In London, the de Silvas are all, in their different ways, desperately homesick. Caught in a cultural clash between East and West, life is not as they expected. Only Thornton's daughter, Meeka, moves confidently into a world that is full of possibilities.But nothing is as easy as it seems and she must overcome heartbreak, a terrible mistake and single parenthood before she is finally able to see the extraordinary effects of history on her family's migration. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR001293661
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Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Paperback. Condition: Good. An epic novel of love, loss and a family uprooted, set in the contrasting landscapes of war-torn Sri Lanka and immigrant London. Grace de Silva, wife of the shiftless but charming Aloysius, has five children and a crumbling marriage. Her eldest son, Jacob, wants desperately to go to England. Thornton, the most beautiful of all the children and his mother's favourite, dreams of becoming a poet. Alicia wants to be a concert pianist. Only Frieda has no ambition, other than to remain close to her family. But civil unrest is stirring in Sri Lanka and Christopher, the youngest and the rebel of the family, is soon caught up in the tragedy that follows. As the decade unfolds against a backdrop of increasing ethnic violence, Grace watches helplessly as the life she knows begins to crumble. Slowly, this once happy family is torn apart as four of her children each make the decision to leave their home. In London, the de Silvas are all, in their different ways, desperately homesick. Caught in a cultural clash between East and West, life is not as they expected. Only Thornton's daughter, Meeka, moves confidently into a world that is full of possibilities.But nothing is as easy as it seems and she must overcome heartbreak, a terrible mistake and single parenthood before she is finally able to see the extraordinary effects of history on her family's migration. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine. Seller Inventory # GOR002913618
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