Sam's Story

Sri Lanka, 2001. Sam, a poor, dim-witted boy, ekes out an existence with his mother, brothers and sisters in a tiny village too remote for maps. His fortunes change when he gets a job as a houseboy in Colombo. But life isn't all perfect; marring Sam's peace is Leandro the cook. Sam hates Leandro, not only because he teases him but also because Leandro belongs to the other side-the side that is killing Sam's people in the war in the North.

With brutal honesty and a wry sense of humour that stems from his simplicity, Sam tells us about the days in his life that he never wants to forget and the days he wishes he didn't remember. Funny and sad at once, this is the tale of contemporary Sri Lanka-about rural and urban life, poverty and corruption, egg hoppers and Christmas parties, boxing dogs and gin and tonics. Sam's joys are pure, his tragedies heart-wrenching. But he takes them all in his stride, telling it as it is.

Set in a country that has been war-ravaged for fifteen years, Elmo Jayawardena's Sam's Story is a poignant, powerful and unforgettable debut novel.