The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida won the Booker Prize in 2022, and it is a captivating read that will engross you in its world. The book explores various themes, such as the afterlife, the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals, the importance of true friendship, and national and international politics. It also touches on the issue of deforestation, which leaves animals vulnerable and without a home.

What sets this book apart is its masterful storytelling. The author skillfully weaves various elements into a captivating narrative that includes all the abovementioned themes.

I was particularly impressed by the imaginative portrayal of the afterlife. The author brings together all the concepts we have heard about life after death and presents them in a free-flowing manner that captivates the reader.

The narration encompasses a range of human emotions, such as humor, happiness, ecstasy, anguish, fear, lust, anxiety, love, hatred, respect, devotion, and many more intangibles.

The story begins with Maali Almeida, a Sinhalese, in a crowded room with many other souls. They are all shouting and demanding answers from a few people in white robes behind a few counters. The individuals in white robes are enlightened souls who guide the dead to their respective floors based on their data. It’s a chaotic scene, and the deceased ones have not yet come to terms with their passing.

When it’s Maali Almeida’s turn, he learns that he has seven moons (seven nights) before he can enter the light.

But after death and before ‘the light’, there is an in-between inhabited by ghosts and ghosts who prevent the dead from entering light as they feed on the gloom and haplessness of the dead. Maali is a photographer, not the kind who clicks holiday pictures, but the kind who could bring down the government by exposing its savagery and carnage in 83 pogroms and 87 wars.

The book covers his journey of seven moons while building suspense around his death, which unravels only at the end. It prosaically covers the vagaries of the afterlife and how it’s crowded even there.

The afterlife also has good people (the ones who want you to go towards the light) and bad people (who tempt you into the vicious circle of finding your murderers and hence being stuck in the ‘in-between’ for a thousand moons and more).

The text describes a series of events in the author’s life. His childhood was difficult; his father left him and his mother, and he blamed his mother for it. He wasn’t interested in reading during his teenage years and found it bland. However, in adulthood, he discovered his passion for photography and realized that he found certain men beautiful and was not attracted to women at all.

The story revolves around Mali, Jaki (his female friend who loved him dearly), and DD (his friend and lover). The text also includes a gory description of the war between LTTE and SL and how countless innocent people died in the conflict.

The book ends with Maali entering the light (it’s not as easy, though; towards the end, the events lead you to believe he might remain stuck in the in-between).

I enjoyed reading this book. Even though it’s about the afterlife and ghosts, it wasn’t scary. The story is very well written, and every scene is described in a way that feels real and grounded. The way all the events are connected is impressive and unique.

I highly recommend this book!