Serendib /Jim Toner.
- Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, (c)2001.
- 1 online resource (216 pages)
Includes bibliographies and index.
When John Toner, a retired Cleveland judge, decided on a whim in April 1990 to spend a month with his Peace Corps volunteer 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. This book 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. 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.--From publisher description.