NOT QUITE PARADISE

　　A chronicle of life on the resplendent island, combining theimmediacy of memoir with the vividness of travelogue andreportage
　　Adele Barker and her son, Noah, settled into the centralhighlands of Sri Lanka for an eighteen-month sojourn, immersingthemselves in the customs, cultures, and landscapes of theisland—its elephants, birds, and monkeys; its hot curries and sweetmangoes; the cacophony of its markets; the resonant evening chantsfrom its temples. They hear stories of the island’s colorful pastand its twenty-five-year civil war between the Sinhalese majorityand the Tamil Tigers. When, having returned home to Tucson, Barkerawakes on December 26, 2004, to see televised images of theisland’s southern shore disappearing into the ocean, she decidesshe must go back. Traveling from the southernmost coasts to thefarthest outposts of the Tamil north, she witnesses the ravages ofthe tsunami that killed forty-eight thousand Sri Lankans in thespace of twenty minutes, and reports from the ground on thetriumphs and failures of relief efforts. Combining the immediacy ofmemoir and the vividness of travelogue with the insight of the bestreportage, Not Quite Paradise chronicles life in a place few haveever visited.--From the Trade Paperback edition.

　　x “Rich in the tales of Sri Lanka under colonial British ruleas well as coverage of the current civil war, Barker’s memoir is anenlightening and captivating read.”—Kristine Huntley,Booklist
　　“Anyone going to Sri Lanka should consider Adele Barker’sNot Quite Paradise essential reading. Even travelers headed toother parts of the globe—or those going no farther than their ownliving room—will find this story of an American woman thoughtfullywending her way through the complexities of another country’sculture and history fascinating.”—Kristin Ohlson, author ofStalking the Divine and coauthor of Kabul Beauty School
“Adele Barker offers this memorable gift: the story ofstrangers from very different countries becoming cherished andenduring friends. Against the background of a most beautifulcountry and through the tragedies that have marred its recenthistory, her love of the land and for its people won a high placein this reader’s heart.”—Mary Oliver, Pulitzer Prize–winningpoet
　From the Trade Paperback edition.