2008 books
72) Romesh Gunesekera, Reef, 1994
Long ago I read Gunesekera's short story collection Monkfish Moon and was impressed with the way he depicts the tensions of Sri Lanka impacting on daily lives, even though the stories themselves were mostly gentle and everyday. Reef (shortlisted for the Booker Prize) treads the same territory but goes deeper, being a story about reconciling the past and the need to make memories tangible in the present. It's the story of Triton who, at the age of eleven, goes to work as a houseboy and later becomes a very good chef in the house of Mr Salgado, an amateur marine biologist and dilletante. Centred around these two people there is some wonderful character development, and Triton's recollection of the experiences that have shaped them both inside and out is particularly well communicated. Drenched in nostalgia Reef touches on all the senses. A memorable book.