The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea mega thrust earthquake that occurred on Sunday, December 26, with an epicenter off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. That quake caused the worst tsunami in history, resulting in 280,000 lives lost. Two items in our collection tell us the story of that disaster with very different experiences:
Sonali Deraniyagala’s memoir The Wave is detailed and vivid; you walk through her grief as though you and the author were one person. In an instant Sonali lost her husband, two sons, and her parents while staying in Sri Lanka during Christmas. Sonali relives her most beloved memories but shrouded in the overwhelming darkness of her loss, she angrily struggles to come to terms with a life without her loved ones. It definitely wasn’t an easy read, but I admired the rawness of it.
In The Impossible you tumble along with the Bennett family literally being dragged under the waves, you find yourself holding your breath and carrying that torch of hope till the very end. This movie is based on the experiences of Maria Belon’s family as they vacationed in Thailand for Christmas starring Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. Although their story is a grueling one, the film captured the tale amazingly well, making even the darkness beautiful.
Also, be sure to check out Emmanuel Carrère’s book Lives Other than My Own and the Thai movie Wonderful Town.
Leave a Comment