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| Sunday, 4 July 2004 |
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Review : An ode to innocence Patchwork of Dreams by Iranganie Fernando Printed and Published by M.D. Gunasena & Co. Ltd. Price Rs. 160.00 A tousled head of unruly curls, innocent eyes and an impish smile. If a picture could actually tell a tale of a thousand words, the unpretentious cover of Patchwork of Dreams says it all. The little girl of the tousled head looking out of a red frame is a picture of endearing innocence, which while inviting the reader to turn the pages, gives an inclination as to what those pages contain - a tale of good and evil, of reality and fantasy, of the present and the future, woven together with the threads of childhood innocence, laughter and trust. A maiden venture at a full length novel by Iranganie Fernando, an educational consultant, Patchwork begins with 'A New Beginning' that explores both the poignancy of loss and optimism of a fresh start and takes the reader almost on a rollercoaster ride of racial harmony, community bonding and the negative aspect of tourism with a few surprises and mysteries thrown in for good measure. An easy read, written in a simple, sometime too simple, style 'Patchwork' starts off as the story of Asha and Babu, who return to their mother's hometown in Hikkaduwa, after their father leaves to Oman for employment. But as the tale grows and matures, so does the number of characters. There is for instance, Somi the children's mother, Jinadasa the maternal grandfather, a former fisherman now going blind, who is never at a loss for a story; Amina and Abdulla, the neighbours children, Tony and Anna, children of the somewhat snobbish Eva, a hotel owner, Vickram an orphaned Tamil boy adopted by the Army and brought to Hikkaduwa by the children's uncle, Marie Cloe a foreigner, Kusum Punchi the mistress of patchwork creations and a whole host more. The characters coming from diverse backgrounds with diverse views add colour and substance to 'Patchwork' which although starting off as a story of returning to home roots ends up almost as series of short stories leading the way for the ultimate discovery. A pot of gold in the literal sense, but much, much more in terms of friendship, acceptance, learning to live in harmony and perhaps the most significant discovery - the retaining of childhood innocence. Set in the idyllic surroundings of Hikkaduwa with a beach as a backdrop, 'Patchwork', though a creation of fiction, highlights many of the problems faced by modern society. While poverty as an issue always hovers in the background, 'The Plot' brings into focus, albeit in a subtle form, the sexual exploitation of children by both locals and foreigners. Similarly 'A Kidnap' highlights the suspicious brought about by racial disunity. At times sounding a tad Utopian to be acceptable, and too simplistic to be believable, communal harmony is showcased thorough a unique pattern where literally every adult character, barring a couple, is married to a person from a different community. Asha's mother, a Sinhalese is married to a Tamil from Hatton, while her mother's younger sister is married to a Muslim. Similarly the Muslim neighbour has a brother married to a Tamil. And to cap it all, the Sinhala soldier cousin, returns to the village on a holiday with a Tamil orphan in tow. And they all live happily, accepting the other's difference without a question and their religious idiosyncrasies without any comment. That bit of incongruity notwithstanding, Patchwork of Dreams is a worthwhile read that can have you feeling entertained, sad and joyful in turn as you encounter the multitude of characters with their varied personalities. |
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