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There are currently 22 member reviews
for What Lies Between Us
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Sharalynne P. (Valparaiso, IN)
What Lies Between Us
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I had a little trouble getting interested in it in the beginning..my enjoyment of the book increased as the story went on. As I sometimes do, I went back to read part of the beginning to clarify some things I missed when I first read it. This was a sad book...one I will be thinking about for a while.....
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Kelli R. (Birmingham, AL)
Dark and Beautifully Written Tragic Story
I knew that I would be emotionally wrecked by this novel from the story of the moon bear in the Prologue. Read those first two pages for a virtual map of the dark and sad story to come - a foreboding that lasts for the next 300 pages. You know how this one is going to end before you start, and every page provides clues for the who, what, where, and why. The only thing you can't do is stop it from happening. Munaweera writes with raw and beautiful descriptions, and drags you along kicking and screaming to a bitter end. Although I have not read A Little Life yet by Hanya Yanagihara, I suspect those that loved that book will love this book. This story will also instigate wonderful discussions among book groups. Bravo!
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Nancy K. (Perrysburg, OH)
A Haunting Story
I looked forward to reviewing the author's second book after enjoying her first, Island of a Thousand Mirrors. However, this is a different type of story and will appeal to a much different audience. While it is true that both take place in Sri Lanka, the author's home country, this is a tale of mental illness that goes terribly wrong as time goes on. Amidst descriptions of the beautiful flora and fauna of her birthplace, Munaweera continues to warn the reader that bad things are happening. At times the narrator who begins telling her story from a cell goes over the top with her descriptions of what happened to her.I would be cautious when recommending the book to book groups or individuals as infanticide is a powerful topic that is not everyone's cup of tea.
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Elizabeth T. (Salem, MA)
SO beautiful, SO sad
What Lies Between Us completely swept me up in the beauty of the language and the passion of the main character, a young girl from Sri Lanka who had a tortured past from which she could never quite escape. The author's description of the abuse and what followed from it as she lived her life was totally true and moving (as a psychotherapist who works with early trauma, I found the rendering of the experience spot on). Also the author's description of the beauty of being obsessed with love was completely absorbing.
After I finished, I found myself sighing deeply, with tears in my eyes. I couldn't give it a fully excellent review, though, because, on reflection the book fell just a shade short: I couldn't quite believe the twist at the end, and I am too much of an optimist to feel that the amount of love and support in this woman's life couldn't save her from her central tragedy.
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Vicky S. (Torrance, CA)
What Lies Between Us - cultures
I appreciated the description of the two countries from the characters' points of view and how different situations are dealt with and perceived from the different cultures - marriage, gender roles etc. It was obvious from the beginning that something awful was going to be described later though the details were a surprise. I wondered how much the woman may have suffered from mental illness that was exacerbated by her circumstances. Book clubs would enjoy discussions around the past, future and mental health.
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Judy K. (Oshkosh, WI)
Women driven by demons of their past
The story is a fast moving read, though at times it is very unpleasant and has you wondering what just happened. You end up cheering for the unstable character(s). I would recommend this book to book clubs. The issues in the book would bring a lot of discussion regarding how past history affect present and future history regarding family relations and personalities.
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Asha K. (Bellerose, NY)
Anguish, brilliant and disturbing.
Having read Ms. Munaweera's debut novel, Island of a Thousand mirrors, I was very excited to receive this first impression book of hers.
What lies between us, is a very raw read. Without divulging too much, I have to say, Nayomi Munaweera is a brutally passionate writer.
Half way through the book, I realize that the protagonist, whose life we read about in minute detail hasn't been given a 'name'. Only on the last paragraph, does her name get announced.
The story spans across two worlds, Sri Lanka and the US. It has the usual Immigrant fiction flavor with a deeply disturbing psychological twist. The book examines motherhood and the various expectations that surround it, both social and cultural. Relationships plagued by taboo happenings and the grand finale where the protagonist "gives' it all up in search of a home, even if it means getting institutionalized.
Brilliant and disturbing, with a side of infanticide!
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