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Content snapshot
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Violence
None
No violence
Language
None
No profanity
Sexual Content
Barely any
Brief sexual references
Substance Use
Some
Heavy family drinking depicted; his father's alcoholism
Emotional Intensity
Barely any
Themes of family mythology, colonial legacy, and the impossibility of recovering the past
What this book is about
Ondaatje's 1982 memoir/fiction hybrid weaves family history, tropical landscape, and colonial Ceylon. Beautiful and lyrical, with some drinking and adult content. For older teens and adults.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Heavy drinking; alcoholism
Reader Verification
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