Memoirs of a Tiger

Ravin Cumaraswamy sits in a chair in the Colombo Airport in Sri Lanka, a country ravaged by civil war and the sinister activities of rebels to the north. With two hours to wait until his flight back to his home in London, Ravin falls asleep and dreams of his early childhood in Colombo nearly fifty years ago.

Life was much different in Colombo during the 1950s. While growing up in a suburb where children played marbles and adults enjoyed tea at the local shops, Ravin explored the remote corners of his suburb, Kotahena, with his best friend, Sri. But even then, tension began to rise in a country that was struggling to find its true identity. Ravin studied diligently, but as soon as the Sinhala Only Act was passed, his friends slowly began applying to universities in England. But with no one in his family to pay for his voyage overseas, Ravin believed he would be trapped in Sri Lanka forever.

Memoirs of a Tiger shares the compelling journey of a young man who embarks on a journey through the villages, towns, and countryside of Sri Lanka and provides an unforgettable glimpse into the colonial history that would eventually dictate future events.