Wave

In her memoir Wave, Sri Lankan economist and memoirist Sonali Deraniyagala describes her experience of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and her life in its aftermath. Deraniyagala had been vacationing on the Sri Lankan coast with her family when the tsunami hit. In an instant, everything in Deraniyagala’s life changed. Though the rushing waters swept Deraniyagala miles inland, she managed to survive. Her family—her husband, Steve; her two sons, Vikram and Malli…

Most of Wave focuses on author Sonali Deraniyagala’s struggles with grief following the loss of her husband, her sons, and her parents, who perished in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. In the immediate aftermath of the disaster and for devastating months afterward, Sonali exists in a state of shock and denial. Even after Steve and the boys’ bodies are located and identified, Sonali refuses to accept the reality of their deaths. She also struggles…

Following the sudden death of her husband, children, and parents, Sonali Deraniyagala loses the will to live. Deraniyagala herself was swept away by the rushing waters of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and only survived because she managed to grab hold of a hanging tree branch and lift herself to safety. In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, after rescuers locate Sonali and transport her to safety, she exists in a daze. Especially after she…