Sashi lives in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, has four brothers, wants to be a doctor and is the narrator of Brotherless Night. However, it is 1981 and a civil war has broken out in her country. The war is atrocious with all sides unreasonable and violent. Because of the war, Sashi’s family is forced to leave their home, some of her brothers join up to fight with disastrous results and Sashi’s medical school closes.

This is a novel that takes some time to get into. The names are foreign, and there are many characters. Also, many of the scenes in Brotherless Night are graphic and upsetting. However, if you stick with this fine novel,are not squeamish, and want to learn about a part of history that is not well known, you will be rewarded.