Half Gods | Akil Kumarasamy

My review of Akil Kumarasamy’s short story collection, Half Gods, appeared at The Millions today.

This review was greatly influenced by my recent obsession with the London Review of Books. I love their engrossing essays and Half Gods felt like a good candidate for a more in-depth look at the history behind the fiction.

Kumarasamy’s 10 stories follow a Tamil-American family, exploring their roots in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and the obstacles they face in their adopted home of New Jersey. The book inspired me to look more closely at the Sri Lankan civil war, a topic I was aware of but not very familiar with. The war is ever present in the background (and sometimes, even the foreground) of the book’s stories. My review spends a lot of time on laying out the historical context necessary to really appreciate Kumarasamy’s characters. I felt like I missed a lot during my first read through. After learning more about the conflict, the stories seemed richer and more affecting to me.