Srianthi Perera
Journalist. Author. Traveler.
“Nearly four years after publishing my successful literary novel, I’m settling into my new life as an author. There’s no going back.
Travel writing provides the same opportunity to be creative, plus, it’s a balm for my soul.
“2021 South Asia Book Award HIghly Commended Book. Young Adult Literature
In this whimsical historical literary novel set in tropical Sri Lanka, a young woman, Tamara de Silva, reflects with wit and warmth to the time her extended family was trying to marry off her uncle. Berty Uncle is a Jane Austenian-type of bachelor trying to figure out whether marriage is worth trying to reclaim his family estate from the clutches of a scheming sister.
To the Western reader, the book opens a window to a foreign culture. Themes include Buddhism, arranged marriages, astrology and coming-of-age traditions. To Sri Lankans who lived through that time, the story is immensely nostalgic.
Travelers, armchair or otherwise, who love to dip into world cultures will enjoy this collection of short stories. Authors Srianthi Perera and Romany Kadurugamuwa hope the recounts of their often-witty travel experiences around the globe will whet your appetite to try the same.
The writing evokes rich, sensory details of the places they explored and outlines dialogue with the quirky people they met. Cultural insight, the political background, historical context, and other pertinent information are thrown in to help glean knowledge from the reading journey. The stories are time capsules.
“While growing up in 1970s Sri Lanka, I did not meet any authors. English books, however, were readily available in this former British colony in Southeast Asia. I had a voracious appetite for stories since childhood, so I read widely in my mother tongue, Sinhala, and my second language, English. To me then, writing a book was such a rare and unimaginable accomplishment that I did not even dwell on it. Authors existed only as names on book covers. I did not dream of meeting any.”
So begins my contribution to this anthology of various writers penning their journeys to authorship. The path can be arduous and exacting, but stick around, and the rewards will come. If you have author ambitions, this book will inspire you.
Travels for Bookworms: Readers who love to travel may find their ideal destinations in this upcoming book of literary travels in the US. The collection includes visits to author home museums and their tombs, quaint bookstores, libraries, roadside sculptures and parks. Most destinations are predictable, but there are others that would need some imagination to enjoy.
Featured authors include Mark Twain in Connecticut, Walt Whitman in New Jersey, Edgar Allen Poe in New York, Louisa May Alcott in Massachusetts, Ernest Hemingway in Key West and John Steinbeck in California.
Reviews of A Maiden's Prayer
Critical Reviews
Writer’s Digest Competitions 2021
This book has a unique voice. Personable and engaging, this story’s overall tone is one that invites readers in and keeps them entertained through all of the major plot points. Perera’s work includes levity that helps even out some of the weightier topics such as arranged marriage in general. Readers will be able to latch onto this voice and enjoy learning about another culture. Perera does a great job of offering several different perspectives and character types for readers to enjoy, each with their own appeal. Themes such as Sri Lankan matchmaking customs aren’t that common in American markets, so this book is already appealing just by virtue of it being something of a novelty. The added perspective of youth’s lens and a character willing to deviate from the norm keeps readers thoroughly entertained.
Judge, 29th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards, 2021.
The Journal of Commonwealth Literature
A Maiden’s Prayer is an engaging, occasionally hilarious account of Sri Lankan life in one of the most significant decades of its existence—the 1970s. Perera brings in many references to Buddhism, astrology, and horoscopes in her novel. They fit in well with Perera’s concerns. One of the strengths of this novel is how it demonstrates the resilience of Sri Lankans who adjusted to life’s challenges while still retaining a sense of joie de vivre.
The Journal of Commonwealth Literature 2021, Vol. 56(4) 683–700.
South Asia Book Award
This spellbinding novel narrated by a witty and keenly observant aspiring writer, teenager Tamara de Silva, unravels family and community secrets while detailing the role of astrology, match makers, and scheming Aunties’ efforts to marry off her eligible bachelor uncle, all amid the cultural and political atmosphere of the times.”
South Asia Book Award
Features and Interviews
Summer Feature/Images Arizona E-Magazine
Author Spotlight/Fine Art Photographer Deepika Haldankar
Read All About It: Local Authors Put Pen to Paper
Scottsdale Lifestyle Magazine.
City Lifestyle Magazine, Phoenix
Words with a Wordsmith: Q&A with Paper Lantern Writers
A historical fiction author’s collective based online.
Paper Lantern Writers
Book Q&A with Deborah Kalb
Journalist Deborah Kalb is an author, editor and blogger based in Washington D. C.
https://tinyurl.com/deborah-kalb
Author Judith Starkston’s Review
Judith Starkston is an author of historical fantasy and fiction; her authentic storytelling is modeled on classical people of the past. https://tinyurl.com/judith-starkston-review
Book Blogger Mel’s Review
Librarian/reader/writer/reviewer Mel is from Toronto, Canada
canada.wordpress.com/2021/01/01/book-review-a-maidens-prayer-by-srianthi-perera/
Author Profile by Paul Maryniak
Executive Editor, SanTan Sun News, Times Publications, Phoenix
Chandler journalist publishes first novel
eLanka News Magazine
Australia’s premier website for Sri Lankans Down-Under
https://tinyurl.com/eLanka-australia
What Other Authers Say....
This is a delightful book! I loved the story, told from the point of view of a young girl in 1970s Sri Lanka. Using a search for a bride for Berty Uncle to drive the narrative, Perera gives us wonderful characters, each with their own endearing charms and maddening foibles. While Perera doesn’t ignore the trials of life, and particularly of life in Sri Lanka at that time, there is an emphasis on getting through, by focusing on family and different kinds of faith.
Rebecca D’Harlingue, author of The Lines Between Us.
A deep and thoughtful coming-of-age story told on multiple levels. A Maiden’s Prayer is a story of growing pains: physical, political, cultural and traditional. Perera tells the story of a family struggling through the many changes and challenges taking place in Sri Lanka during the 1970s and does so with honesty, warmth and humor. A delightful uncovering of both similarities and differences, and an open door for those who seek to expand beyond a “single story” narrative.
Sharon Skinner, book coach and author of multiple young adult books in fantasy, science fiction, literary fiction and poetry.
“Srianthi Perera is a gifted storyteller. Learning about another culture is easy when you are guided by interesting literature written by a professional. Reading A Maiden’s Prayer enabled me to know more about the cultural ways of the Sri Lankan people. Srianthi ‘invites’ you to experience her colorful family members. Sit back and relax, as you allow Srianthi to take you on this journey.”
Paula Cullison, travel writer, photographer and founder, Arizona Women’s Partnership.
“In A Maiden’s Prayer, author Srianthi Perera has masterfully woven together an engaging tale set in 1970s Sri Lanka, amid the backdrop of a tumultuous political and economic climate. The story is beautifully narrated by Tamara de Silva, niece of the main character, Berty Rajakaruna. The relatable tale illuminates the intricacies of familial bonds and the influence of such relationships on life events.”
Lilia Fallgatter, author of The Most Important Letter You Will Ever Write.
“This book shed important light on issues that affect a culture I was new to learning about. I appreciated the vivid storytelling and fluidity of the writing style in order to really engulf me in the emotions of the story. Fast and excellent read!”
Staci Hauk, author of Sawyer’s Two Cents
The author paints a lovely portrait of life in Sri Lanka, a place I knew very little of. It is a coming-of-age story, strong in setting and interesting family characters. The title, A Maiden’s Prayer, comes from a movement in piano music by a Polish composer in 1856. The music became the piece “that every young lady of good family and unstained moral character was expected to play.” The metaphor suits the story. I did have a little trouble tracking all the foreign names and characters, but that does not detract from the story. If anything, they invite me in to explore a new place. This is a work of fiction, but clearly the author draws on her childhood and Sri Lankan heritage.
Katrina Shawver, author of Henry: A Polish Swimmer’s True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America.
“This is a well-written book. that took me deep inside Sri Lankan culture. The characters were authentic and the experiences captivated and held my attention throughout. For those interested in exploring and learning about other cultures this is both a delightful and engaging read!”
Sandra Marinella, author of The Story You Need to Tell: Writing to Heal from Trauma, Illness, or Loss
“A Maiden’s Prayer is an enchanting trip into a distant culture. A Sri Lankan family struggles to marry off its 35-year-old playboy relative before his romantic exploits can shame everyone. Funny…charming…filled with authentic detail…the characters and incidents live long after the story’s final words. Highly recommended!”
Mel Weiser, author On 174th Street: The World of Willie Mittleman.
“I’m always interested in books about Sri Lanka, so I was pleased to discover this charming story set there in the 1970s. It’s told through the eyes of a teenage girl, Tamara, and initially I expected more of a coming of age theme, but the main focus turned out to be on the efforts of her extended family to marry off the family’s wayward Uncle Bertie. The characters are engaging and portrayed with warmth, and there’s plenty of descriptive detail that brings the setting to life. I see from her notes that the author did a lot of research into the social and political situation at the time. I thought that she wove this into her story very skillfully. I enjoyed the references to old customs surrounding marriage too. If you like family stories coupled with the chance to learn something about another culture, I recommend this.”
Harriet Steel, author of the Inspector de Silva Mysteries
About the Story
Set in 1970s Sri Lanka, A MAIDEN’S PRAYER is the entertaining story of affluent bachelor Berty Rajakaruna, as told with much humor by his precocious niece Tamara.
Because Berty refuses to conform to the traditional methods of finding a wife, he and his extended family face dizzying obstacles. As with many middle-class Sri Lankan families of the day, the family is steeped in astrology and superstition and holds rigorous ideas on individual roles and behavior. Such beliefs plunge them into comical situations and unexpected consequences.
The family is particularly keen to tie the knot on his behalf because of his inheritance. Berty’s great-great-grandfather was a Mudaliyar – an official — under British colonial rule. He owned a magnificent house and property, which rightfully belongs to Berty, but it is being unfairly occupied by his sister. The family believes that marriage, and the production of an heir, will legitimize Berty’s claim to the property and will restore family pride.
Berty’s niece, Tamara de Silva, is a feisty 12-year-old. Like him, she questions the traditional rituals that govern their lives, and rebels against them.
When Tamara experiences her very first menstrual period, she must suddenly adhere to acceptable “ladylike behavior.” She is confined to her bedroom for a week with a tribe of maternal aunties puttering around her, changing her normal routines and dispensing ready advice about how she has now become a woman and what she must and must not do.
But the week that changed Tamara’s life is nothing compared to what lies ahead for Berty and the family.
A Maiden’s Prayer
August 2020
Formats: paperback and e-book
ISBN: 978-1-7354120-0-9
E-book ISBN: 978-1-7354120-1-6
Multimedia
Interview with Akshaybhasha Literary Organization
Click the blue link to watch an interview with the Phoenix-based South Asian literary organization, Akshaybhasha.
Piano Rendition of A Maiden's Prayer
The novel’s title is derived from a piano piece, A Maiden’s Prayer, by Polish composer Tekla Badarzewska-Baranowska, which was first published in 1856 in Warsaw.