I cannot recommend this book enough, and I feel that no review I write will be good enough to give it justice. That this story of a young gay man leaving a tumultuous past behind in Sri Lanka to begin a new life in Toronto resonated so deeply with me, a young straight woman unfamiliar with Sri Lankan history and moving from the Philippines to Toronto with far less need for emotional severance, is a testament to Selvadurai’s talent. The story is steeped in the richness of Sri Lankan culture and mythology, and the author masterfully weaves it through the more grounded, all too real narrative of growing up with mixed Tamil and Sinhalese lineage in Sri Lanka. What Amy Tan does for the Chinese-American saga, Shyam Selvadurai does for Sri Lankan-Canadians, and I can only wish I, or someone far more talented, can do as well someday for the Filipino immigrant. Moving, evocative, a beautifully written, absolutely amazing coming of age, immigrant story. Shyam Selvadurai’s The Hungry Ghosts is the book I wish I could have written.
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