Following the success of her first novel Monsoons and Potholes, Manuka Wijesinghe digs deeper into the history and psyche of her native Sri Lanka with this story of a village schoolmaster who finds his unwavering faith in Theravada Buddhism and the British education system challenged by the irrational forces of astrology, numerology and human desire. Told with characteristic passion and humour, the story combines a satirical take on the Sinhala myth with a healthy dose of its own brand of mysticism. Manuka's strengths are her unique narrative voice, her playwright's ear for dialogue, and her idiosyncratic perspective on her nation's history and culture.