I am cross posting this book review from my personal blog. This is especially for sbarrkum. Too often, BP is inordinately focused on India and Pakistan while neglecting other countries in the South Asian region. This essay was initially published in October 2022, soon after Karunatilaka won the Booker Prize.
As a South Asian, I was delighted that this yearâs Booker Prize was won by someone from our region. I was excited to get my hands on Shehan Karunatilakaâs prizewinning novel The Seven Moons of Maali AlmeidaÂ
The novel can best be described as a detective story and as a ghost story set during the height of Sri Lankaâs civil war. In the opening pages, the protagonistâMaali Almeidaâfinds himself in a waiting room which he quickly realizes is the afterlife. He doesnât remember how he died and he has seven days (the titular seven moons) to find out who killed him before he must go into âthe lightâ. Maali was a photojournalist involved in documenting the war and the suspects for his death include the Sri Lankan security forces as well as the Tamil Tigers. He was also in possession of photos that would rock Sri Lanka and he makes it his mission to lead the two people he loves mostâ his boyfriend DD and his best friend Jakiâ to the negatives. Continue reading Review: The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka