A tragically topical refugee saga

Before displaced Syrians began seeking refuge in Canada, residents of another conflict-riddled nation came to our shores. Sharon Bala’s debut novel tells the story of Mahindan and his young son, two refugees fleeing Sri Lanka’s civil war aboard a ship destined for Vancouver. When authorities discover some of the “boat people” are members of a militant faction, Mahindan is thrown into a detention centre and must fight for his son’s future. McClelland and Stewart and Doubleday scooped up Bala’s timely manuscript, a sharp examination of the global refugee crisis from both human and bureaucratic perspectives.