Yala's lush, green forests, Trincomalee's white-sand beaches, the southern coast's blue waters, the historic temples of Anuradhapura, and cricket. Civil war, political assassinations, communities that have been internally displaced, and widespread corruption. They are all Sri Lankan. The same may be said for arrogant officials, inquisitive neighbours, and stray dogs with deep grudges. As he races down slopes in Kandy, takes in the history at the rock stronghold of Sigiriya, deals with the effects of war in Jaffna, and gets kicked out of restaurants near Galle, Sri Lanka comes to life through the eyes of Andrew Fidel Fernando, the best cricket writer in the world. Flowing through a variety of villages, paddy fields, mountains, jungles, and marshes while stopping at filthy guesthouses to check for pests and the vacationers of luxury hotels, Fernando has the time for every genre of person and wildlife in this chaotic, exquisite, frustrating, bewitching, tumultuous and intoxicating land. Hilariously witty yet wistfully sombre, Upon a Sleepless Isle is the story of a country and a people caught between long historical traditions and global capitalism, resulting in this ingenious paradise.