Madol Doova

Madol Doova is a children's novel very popular not only in Sri Lanka but all over the world. It was written by Martin Wickramasinghe and it was published for the first time in 1947. The book was translated to different foreign languages and a film made in 1976 was based on it. The book was translated to English soon after initial publication and then, later on, to Russian, Chinese, Dutch, Romanian, Bulgarian and Japanese. Although some have claimed that maybe the message is not so educational, most critiques have agreed that the book sets a wonderful example of courage and teaches children of the importance of the becoming process.

The main character is an adventurous boy, who gets involved in various shady activities but then learns how to be responsible. The book is very well written and most people who start reading it are unable to put the book down until they get to the end. It's been said that the style of the writer and his tone of voice are particularly unique. The rhythm of the story is captivating as well. The action takes place on the Southern coast of Sri Lanka and on a small deserted island.

Two characters, Upali Giniwella and his friend, go through all sorts of adventures and mishaps as the main character is an orphan and his best friend is the child servant in their house. They finally try to live on the small island covered by forests and which is supposed to be haunted. It all takes place at the end of the 19th century. Very few people know that the name of the story, "Madol Doova", actually means "island of mangroves".

The film of 1976 is also known after the name of "Enchanted Island". There's also a teledrama based on the same book.