I read Return to Sri Lanka: Travels in a Paradoxical Island by Razeen Sally in June, in the hope of doing so myself next year and keen to get myself back in the mood of the island, its people and its history (see my previous blogs on Seek the Singing Fish and The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida).

This is an absolutely captivating book – one man’s perspective on the country he grew up in and did not properly return to through the many years of civil war. It is a perfect blend of family stories, personal anecdotes, honest reflections and travelogue, and roams from a carefree childhood amidst the elites of Colombo, to feelings of isolation as a child transplanted to Wales, and on to being a middle-aged stranger returning to a homeland transformed by war.

I particularly enjoyed the sections describing places I visited last year, and places I hope to visit next year. That feeling of the morning mists in the hill country came straight back, as did the heat of Sirigiya rock in the cultural triangle in the centre, and in Galle on the south coast. It was fascinating to read his descriptions of the north of the Island, worse hit by the war, where I hope to travel next year, and he brings to life the succession of failed governments and failed policy choices that has led the country on a rollercoaster of political and economic chaos. Through it all the strength and humour of Sri Lanka’s people shine through and the stories he tells of those trying to make a difference give hope to the narrative.

I delighted in reading this and can’t wait to visit this wonderful country again.