C'est la vie!!

Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala

                  Wave written by Sonali is a  book that i picked up based on posts made by a few friends on FB on how it touched them. This book with a simple black cover truly changed my perspective of life. The book is based on a true life story of Sonali Deraniyagala and her family who were attacked by the 2004 Tsunami. Having lived in Chennai and witnessing the Tsunami myself though from distant quarters I was keen to go ahead and read the book.
                 The narration is straight from the heart and filled with a myriad of emotions . Sonali lost her husband , parents and two young sons to the Tsunami and is the lone survivor in the family. Her journey , her lows , her emotions - guilt at times , anger , frustration , suicidal attempts ,etc makes you realise how life can just change overnight.She says of her family, "When I had them, they were my pride, and now that I’ve lost them, I am full of shame". Her memories of her children are the ones that will make you sob. When she sees things used by her boys or watch other children play it fills her with an agony that cannot be explained in words. The story goes back and forth between the happy times spent in London with her family and how post the Tsunami she had to pick herself up and carry on with life.
                 Sonali moves to New York to forget her past and she says that when people ask her why she is single or why she doesnt have children it makes her want to scream out loud that she had it all but destiny turned out to be cruel to her. This story really makes you reflect on life and think how the problems we actually face are minimal compared to this disaster. It teaches us that no matter what life has to move on and time will eventually be the healer.
                This book is truly an emotionally draining book. It left me sad and angry about how life can be so cruel to someone. But i guess the lesson learnt from this could also be her will power and her strength to move on with life despite all this.