A Disobedient Girl - Hardcover

Freeman, Ru

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1439101957 ISBN 13: 9781439101957

Publisher: Atria Books, 2009

Synopsis

In one of the most impressive debuts of the year, Ru Freeman offers us a mesmerizing tale set in her native Sri Lanka of two women, strangers to one another, whose destinies are inextricably and tragically bound.

In her heart, Latha knows that she was not meant to be a servant. She was born for finer things like the rosesmelling Lux soap she steals, the glasses of fresh lime juice that she helps herself to, and the brand new shoes she begs for. But her fate is dictated by the Vithanages, the family she has been working for since she was five years old. We follow Latha’s story for thirty years as she fights for her dignity and navigates the loss of her innocence, competing with Thara Vithanage—a girl her own age who enjoys every freedom that Latha yearns for but is denied, including the love of an ordinary boy. Interwoven with Latha’s story is the tale of Biso, a devoted mother who has decided to leave her coastal Southern town and escape from her abusive husband, taking her three young children with her. But her journey toward a better life in the mountains results in a series of devastating missteps that connects her life with that of Latha’s in an unexpected and heartbreaking way. A Disobedient Girl is a compelling exploration of personal desire set against the volatile backdrop of class and prejudice as two women journey toward their future, united by a shared history but separated by different fates.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

A desperate young mother, a country in turmoil, a friendship betrayed.

Since her days in the orphanage, Latha has been a companion and servant to Thara, a more fortunate girl her own age. But since her trip to the hill-country, when she caught her first glimpse of a rose, Latha has known she was destined for a better life. For now, she must watch silently as Thara receives all the luxuries Latha is denied, consoled only by the rose-scented soap stolen from the bathroom of her master's house.

Years and miles away, Biso, a desperate young mother, flees from her murderous husband, taking her children with her to the remote hills. As Biso and Latha journey towards their separate fates, struggling to hold on to their independence, each will betray the people they love, changing the course of their lives forever.

A Disobedient Girl is an epic, heartbreaking novel about the linked destinies of two women, set against the backdrop of beautiful, politically turbulent, Sri Lanka.

www.rufreeman.com

About the Author:

Ru Freeman is a Sri Lankan writer whose political journalism and fiction has been published internationally.
Anne Flosnik is an accomplished multi-award-winning British actress who has garnered two AudioFile Earphones Awards, an ALA Award, and three Audie Award nominations. Her narration of Little Bee by Chris Cleave was chosen as one of the Best Audiobooks of the Year 2009 by AudioFile magazine.

About this edition

• Publisher: Atria Books
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1439101957
• ISBN 13: 9781439101957
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 374