These exceptionally crafted stories explore life in contemporary Sri Lanka through a sophisticated variety of literary modes, from exquisitely rendered realism to imaginatively allegorical fantasy. These stories are particularly strong in their depiction of women’s lives. At times constrained and burdened, at other times launching themselves rebelliously into journeys of self-discovery... the storytelling here in nuance, shaped by a deep knowledge of a wide range of literary traditions, and yet told in a voice that is freshly personal and individual. They are the work of a true writer.