The Sisters of Serendib (Ayesha Inoon, HQ Fiction)

The Sisters of Serendib, the sophomore novel from Ayesha Inoon (Untethered), opens in 1990 with a flurry of events as Tamil Muslims board boats to escape the escalating violence of the Sri Lankan civil war. Among them is a mother and her three young daughters – Janu, Samar and baby Maryam. When their mother dies at sea, the sisters are separated, eventually ending up in Australia, where they are raised in different families and cities. Only the oldest, Janu, retains memories of their journey and shared past. The novel moves quickly through their childhoods and into their individually unravelling adolescent lives. The reader is reintroduced to each woman as a young adult in 2008, as the plot is spurred on by Janu’s endeavour to reunite with her sisters. The story is tinged with magical realism; each sister is endowed with a subtle ability to influence those around her, a device that strengthens their bonds while exploring what it means to be family and the limits of forgiveness. Intimate and character-driven, The Sisters of Serendib casts a compassionate eye over the desperate measures people take to save a life, and the protective shield of familial love. Inoon writes in soft, undulating prose that is at once harrowing and gentle, pulling the reader along the tides of these characters’ lives. Written with deep compassion, this novel will be loved by readers of Amal Awad and Australian historical fiction.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Marina Sano (she/her) is a Japanese and Australian critic, editor and bookseller. She co-founded Amplify Bookstore and is an advocate for more diverse and representative publishing. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Friday Unlocked reviews Reviews