WAVE

The author experienced unimaginable losses when the 2004 tsunami hit Sri Lanka, where she had been staying with her husband, two young sons, and her parents. As the lone surviving member of her family, she struggles to find a reason or a way to go on in the face of her pain. Hannah Curtis's voicing is almost deadpan, a quality that certainly manages to convey the moments in which Deraniyagala is channeling her feelings of loss into anger and frustration rather than showing the sadness she feels to the outside world. However, when recounting details of Deraniyagala's life with her family, such as their personality quirks, preferences, and shared moments, the listener would have welcomed a bit more tenderness in the narration. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2013]