The Jam Fruit Tree

Carl Muller captures the unique world of Sri Lanka's Burghers—a community descended from Dutch, Portuguese, and British settlers who intermarried with local inhabitants—through a narrative that is by turns hilarious, affectionate, candid, and deeply moving. The story explores the distinctive identity of these island-dwellers, whose mixed heritage sets them visibly apart in their homeland. This acclaimed work won the Gratiaen Memorial Prize for the best English-language literature by a Sri Lankan author in 1993.