Book Review

Wave: A Memoir of Life after the Tsunami- Sonali Deraniyagala

Sonali Deraniyagala, an economics professor at the University of London, is a survivor of the tsunami that struck Sri Lanka and much of the region in 2004.

Description:

Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala was a book of unimaginable circumstances. For Christmas, Sonali and her husband Steve and sons Vikram and Malli travel from their home in London back to Sri Lanka to celebrate with Sonali’s parents. In London, both Steve and Sonali work as faculty for the University of London. Sonali and Steve both have economics degrees that they received from Cambridge University where they first met. A native of Sri Lanka, Sonali felt it was important to keep the boys connected to both England and Sri Lanka.  With her parents living in Colombo, Sri Lanka is a second home. For Christmas, the entire family travels to Yala on the other side of the island. Yala became a favorite location due to the National park being in the “backyard” which allows Vik and Malli to watch the eagles and other wildlife nearby. But this Christmas was different. On December, 26 2004 a 9.0 magnitude earthquake occurred on the floor of the Indian Ocean off the coast of Indonesia. The earthquake some hundreds of miles away created a silent menace for the country of Sri Lanka. A tsunami was created from the force released by the quake and sent a series of waves rushing across the Indian Ocean. Sonali and her family were in a beach side hotel which they frequent. The book opens with Sonali noticing that the ocean seems farther up the beach than normal. The waves were of foam but not too unusual until the water continued to crawl up the beach inland. She called to Steve to come look and they immediately knew something was wrong. Sonali and Steve took the kids to a jeep and left the hotel and started to drive inland. They left so quickly that Sonali forgot to tell her parents in the neighboring room. The night before would be the last she would see them. As the jeep carried Sonali and the family inland a massive wave washed ashore sweeping and taking anything in its path with it. The jeep was rolled and Sonali was forever separated from the rest of her family.

The book describes how she was washed through the water and debris and in a last attempt to keep from being swept into the ocean she grabbed a tree branch. Locals found her soon after the water had calmed and transported her to a nearby hospital where the nightmare began. The wave claimed the lives of her family, her parents, and now she must live without them but how? Writing helped keep track of days, and memories which at first were unbearable. Sonali frequently thought of committing suicide to escape the pain but her Aunt’s and Uncle’s protected her. As time progressed, 7 years, Sonali was able to find comfort in the memories and held tightly to them for these were what remained of her lost loved ones. She returned to London, a feat which was incomprehensible initially, to friends and colleagues that helped her world to function again. Wave is a testament to human resilience and love in wake of unimaginable disaster.

Analysis:

The waves that impacted the coast of Sri Lanka traveled across the Indian Ocean at the speed of a jet liner.

                The tsunami resulting from one of the strongest earthquakes in recent history was estimated to have killed more than 250,000 people and destroying homes in 11 countries. Sri Lanka was the second hardest hit country in the region.

Because the earthquake occurred in the eastern region of the Indian Ocean near Indonesia, the wave impacted the eastern shore of Sri Lanka resulting in devastating numbers of casualties. 

                Sonali wrote “We don’t get tidal waves in Sri Lanka.” This disbelief and unfamiliar event led to the death of 40,000 people. Until a few months later Sonali had never heard the term tsunami and now she will never forget it. The earthquake that produced the waves was said to have released enough energy to an approximate 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs. This rapid release in energy on the ocean floor resulted in displacing the water above and created waves as high as 50ft in some areas. Yala, where Sonali and her family were celebrating Christmas, was one of the hardest hit areas in the country.

Appraisal:

                Often in the event of a natural disaster, people focus on the losses and destruction and overlook those who had to experience it.  Wave is a firsthand experience of one of the most devastating disasters surrounding the Indian Ocean. Through family and perseverance, Sonali Deraniyagala survived. From being rushed miles in mud and debris, losing “her world”, and finding peace as time progressed, is a true demonstration of the impacts caused by natural disasters. Anyone looking for a heart-wrenching and inspiring story of love, Wave will not disappoint.

Links:
         Casualty Map
         Yala, Sri Lanka
         Wave Animation
         National Geographic 2004 Tsunami Information