The Devil Dancers is a novel which follows the fate of a diverse range of characters over a four-year period. These range from the main characters, such as Neleni, Arjun, Asoka and Sriya to a host of secondary characters who weave in and out of the main story like multi-coloured threads. But each of them is important and each has a story to tell. Here is a sample of who you will meet:
# Brilliant but naïve, Arjun is banished to a backwater where he falls hopelessly in love with Neleni, a married woman. But her rival also plans to ensnare him;
# Murder and a flight from deadly pursuers introduce Asoka, a former monk and revolutionary, to Sriya. She offers him redemption, but Asoka is haunted by the past;
# Sergeant Gunasekera’s only diversion is crime thrillers – until he is forced to take responsibility for a group of refugees;
# Ella, the maid, steals her ride to work on a commuter train. But she embarks on a different journey after her village is attacked by rioters;
# Leela has all that money can buy until her husband is killed. Then, faced with bankruptcy, she strikes an unholy pact with her former lover;
# Prime Minister Bandaranaike owes his election to a powerful Buddhist abbot. But there is a high price to pay.
In fact, this book is more than a novel. It’s a historical novel. And that means research. Lots of it. It’s not a textbook – that would destroy the story. But, by placing the characters in an authentic setting, it offers a brief insight into some of the contemporary issues. The mid-1950s was a seminal period for Ceylon; one which set the scene for a civil war that lasted over 25 years.
This book will generate more interest in this wonderful, but troubled country and the issues that ultimately tore it apart.
# Brilliant but naïve, Arjun is banished to a backwater where he falls hopelessly in love with Neleni, a married woman. But her rival also plans to ensnare him;
# Murder and a flight from deadly pursuers introduce Asoka, a former monk and revolutionary, to Sriya. She offers him redemption, but Asoka is haunted by the past;
# Sergeant Gunasekera’s only diversion is crime thrillers – until he is forced to take responsibility for a group of refugees;
# Ella, the maid, steals her ride to work on a commuter train. But she embarks on a different journey after her village is attacked by rioters;
# Leela has all that money can buy until her husband is killed. Then, faced with bankruptcy, she strikes an unholy pact with her former lover;
# Prime Minister Bandaranaike owes his election to a powerful Buddhist abbot. But there is a high price to pay.
In fact, this book is more than a novel. It’s a historical novel. And that means research. Lots of it. It’s not a textbook – that would destroy the story. But, by placing the characters in an authentic setting, it offers a brief insight into some of the contemporary issues. The mid-1950s was a seminal period for Ceylon; one which set the scene for a civil war that lasted over 25 years.
This book will generate more interest in this wonderful, but troubled country and the issues that ultimately tore it apart.
