With Island Story, J. Vijayatunga returned to the theme ‘Lanka’ which had been eluding him since he wrote ‘Grass for my feet’. Island Story, however, is not a continuation of his childhoos’s reminiscences. His method here is, by weaving fact and fancy together, to relate his intimate knowledge of lanka both to its present-day life and to its ancient traditions. The result is a highly evocative book, in part a factual account of Lanka’s storied past and in part a personal record. Island Story is a rare treasure indeed, where two masters together, bring alive reminiscences of an island the island lanka.