Gunesekera's short story collection Monkfish Moon--a New York Times Notable Book of 1993--quickly established him as a leading literary voice. Reef, his first novel, tells the powerful and moving story of a young Sri Lankan houseboy who is so caught up in trying to please his master that he is oblivious to the larger world as it spirals out of control. "An enchanting, endlessly funny and affecting novel".--San Francisco Chronicle.
The incandescent (New York Times Book Review) coming-of-age-story and debut novel by the acclaimed Booker Prize finalist Romesh Gunesekera

Triton loved living in Mister Salgado's house. It was the biggest house he had ever seen--filled with floors to sweep and silver to polish and meals to cook and adults to impress and a brilliant master whose voice was poetry. And people from all over the world came to the house-- to sell their wares, to talk, to live, for this was where life took place. Even the sun would rise from the garage and sleep behind the del tree at night. And in the house, life was good.

But beyond Mister Salgado's house and their Sri Lankan village there was a world. And all around them, it was falling apart...