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Serendib
I didn't invite him. The idea was all my father's, my seventy-four-year-old father who had never been outside America and who suddenly thought that Sri Lanka, where I was a Peace Corps volunteer, would be a jolly place to visit. When John Toner, a retired Cleveland judge, decided on a whim in April 1990 to spend a month with his son in war-torn Sri Lanka, he was as much a stranger to his seventh--and last--child as he was to the hardships of life in a Third World country. Serendib chronicles the journey that follows as a father and son who had never been alone together live in close quarters, in the poorest of conditions--and replace awkwardness and distance with understanding and love. Along the way are the stories of John learning to eat with his fingers, bathing in a river alongside cows, and trading his wool trousers for a traditional sarong. We witness his coming face-to-face with a Hindu priest in a loincloth and his first encounter with the everyday violence of a country at war with itself. John watches with awe as students learn without computers, books, or even paper; he bonds with Sri Lankan children and learns, once again, how to give and how to play. Each new experience pushes Toner's father to face his fears--and brings him closer to his youngest son. Serendib offers a colorful, humorous, and touching account of multiple discoveries--of an old man exploring deep within himself, of a father and son finding each other, and of two cultures coming together on uncommon ground and awakening to the joy and hope of the life they share.
- GenresMemoir
216 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 26, 2023
This book is about Jim, a youngest child in a big family, who lives in Sri Lanka as a Peace Corps teacher. His father which whom he doesn't have much of a personal relationship decides to come visit him for a month. This story is about his father's adjustment to life in Sri Lanka and the growth of the relationship between father and son.
What I liked about this book: The description of Jim's relationship with his father and how it grew and expanded was beautiful. Jim was very vulnerable with writing exactly how he felt and how his emotions changed seeing his father so invested in getting to know and understand his life in Sri Lanka. I also liked the exposure to the Sri Lankan civil war and how devastating it was for the entire country. Through descriptions of something as mundane as transportation from one town to another, you are exposed to the chaos that comes from war.
Things I didn't love: Jim did address some aspects of privilege that he, his wife, and his father gained from being white Americans, but was as far as it got. I wish he had talked more about how his being part of the Peace Corps gave him advantages that other Sri Lankans didn't have access to, and the affect that had in his relationships with them. One part of the book mentioned his wife Cindy getting bit by a stray dog, and them rushing to the US Embassy to get a rabies shot, because that was the only place in all of Sri Lanka that still had the shot. He later talked to one of his friends about it, knowing that his friend and the rest of Sri Lanka would have just had to hope that the dog didn't have rabies, and many thousands had died because of a lack of the vaccine. I get that the book was focused on his relationship with his father, but I do wish he talked about his privilege, as some of the book came across slightly tone deaf.
What I liked about this book: The description of Jim's relationship with his father and how it grew and expanded was beautiful. Jim was very vulnerable with writing exactly how he felt and how his emotions changed seeing his father so invested in getting to know and understand his life in Sri Lanka. I also liked the exposure to the Sri Lankan civil war and how devastating it was for the entire country. Through descriptions of something as mundane as transportation from one town to another, you are exposed to the chaos that comes from war.
Things I didn't love: Jim did address some aspects of privilege that he, his wife, and his father gained from being white Americans, but was as far as it got. I wish he had talked more about how his being part of the Peace Corps gave him advantages that other Sri Lankans didn't have access to, and the affect that had in his relationships with them. One part of the book mentioned his wife Cindy getting bit by a stray dog, and them rushing to the US Embassy to get a rabies shot, because that was the only place in all of Sri Lanka that still had the shot. He later talked to one of his friends about it, knowing that his friend and the rest of Sri Lanka would have just had to hope that the dog didn't have rabies, and many thousands had died because of a lack of the vaccine. I get that the book was focused on his relationship with his father, but I do wish he talked about his privilege, as some of the book came across slightly tone deaf.
February 22, 2022
Beautiful and heart-warming story about the evolution of a father and son’s relationship.
August 8, 2007
one of my parents best friend, Jimmy Toner used to come around and I remember as a young kid, he was someone pretty remarkable, unlike most of the Cleveland hooligans that were hanging around our house. This book is his story of the a trip when his aging, Irish Catholic father, a judge from Cleveland, came to visit him during his assignment as a peace corps volunteer in Sri Lanka. Having known both Jimmy and the Judge, I guess I'm biases, but all of my friends I pass this on to love it. I mean, love it in a father/son getting to the heart of the matter feel good kinda way, for sure. But, it's not a fluff piece, it's colorful, vivid, thoughtful and heartfelt. Ok, I'm not going into publishing or pr. Nevermind.
March 19, 2015
This was a fun read and I enjoyed the story and the location and the lessons learned. This would make a wonderful movie.
The reason I rated it 3 stars is that I'm not a big fan of memoirs and I think I just wanted more depth and feeling. I also wanted to know what happened after the story ends as far as the relationship with the author and his father. That being said, it's a good book and I would recommend it.
The reason I rated it 3 stars is that I'm not a big fan of memoirs and I think I just wanted more depth and feeling. I also wanted to know what happened after the story ends as far as the relationship with the author and his father. That being said, it's a good book and I would recommend it.
January 13, 2009
Surprisingly, when the author invites his father to Sri Lanka to visit while the author is serving in the Peace Corps, his father, whom the author thought would not adjust well, made a complete turnaround and enjoyed an excellent visit - even seemed to love the local citizens and their "strange" ways. Witty, and touching story.
March 16, 2015
Totally enjoyable! Great father/son story. Father started out difficult, unwilling to try new things in Sri Lanka and ended up comfortable with the culture and people. Loved to see the transition. Such nice father/son bonding.
January 26, 2012
it helps that he was my JC english professor - and mind you, it's been years since I read it - but sentimentality of this novel moved me.
November 6, 2013
I Love this book I hope it could go on forever, it made me smile, it made laugh out loud, it made me sigh, and most of all it made me think of my family back home.
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February 17, 2014Great book, especially if you're from India.
February 1, 2016
Enjoyed the second half better than the first half.
April 15, 2013
I terrific father and son story.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews