▁in ▁South ▁Asia ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁It ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁be ▁nominated ▁for ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁sub - cont inent ’ s ▁major ▁literary ▁pri zes ▁including ▁Man ▁Asian ▁Liter ary ▁Prize ▁and ▁won ▁the ▁Commonwealth ▁Regional ▁Prize ▁for ▁Asia ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁It ▁was ▁long ▁listed ▁for ▁the ▁International ▁D UB LIN ▁Liter ary ▁Award ▁and ▁short ▁listed ▁for ▁the ▁D SC ▁Prize ▁for ▁South ▁Asian ▁Liter ature . ▁The ▁novel ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁America ▁by ▁St . ▁Martin ’ s ▁Press ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁It ▁tells ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁the ▁conflict ▁ ▁between ▁two ▁main ▁eth nic ▁groups ▁in ▁Sri ▁L anka ▁from ▁the ▁perspective ▁of ▁two ▁girls ▁who ▁witness ▁the ▁horror . ▁The ▁civil ▁war ▁officially ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁and ▁continued ▁until ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁Biography ▁N ay omi ▁M una we era ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Sri ▁L anka ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁escape ▁the ▁civil ▁un rest ▁in ▁the ▁period ▁leading ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁Sri ▁L ank an ▁Civil ▁War , ▁her ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁Niger ia ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁ 3 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁military ▁coup ▁in ▁Niger ia ▁and ▁her ▁family ▁moved ▁again , ▁this ▁time ▁to ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁She ▁holds ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁Liter ature ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁Ir v ine ▁and ▁a ▁master