Amara has long assisted her father with his work as the local village's priest, helping exorcise demons and protect homes using the traditional methods. When local men start getting attacked in the nearby jungle, however, villagers who have adopted the colonizers' Christian religion start blaming him (and by extension her) for welcoming and controlling the demons instead of fighting against them. Meanwhile, Amara struggles with a growing divide in her relationship with her father, which has disturbingly coincided with a series of violent nightmares and an increase in sleepwalking. All the while, the attacks continue...
This was an intriguing look into the colonization of Sri Lanka and the ways in which it impacted local culture (it reminded me of Things Fall Apart in that sense). But it also taps into local mythology, the anger of mistreated women, and fear of the unknown. There are times at which the author does a bit more telling than showing, which is unfortunate, as so much of horror is based on atmosphere and the unsettling feelings it creates. But overall, this was a fresh and creative way to examine colonialism.
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