Cover of Wave

Book · 2013 · Death

Wave

by Sonali Deraniyagala · Recommended by 5 people on 2 podcasts

mentions
9
people
5
podcasts
2
episodes
7
recommendation
1

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And then a book called Wave by Sonia Dana Yagala, who is an economist. It's a it's a memoir that she wrote. She lost her entire family in the 2004 Sri Lankan tsunami. um, her husband, her two children, and her parents all at once. That sounds like it would be an excruciating memoir to read. It is an unbelievably.
Rachel Bard · The Ezra Klein Show · Aug 2025 Listen at 1:26:31

What they say about it

Grouped from 9 mentions
  • Recounts the tragic storyline“lost her entire family”
    3

The best things said about it

3 of 9 · every mention
Discussed
That book was a memoir really heart-wrenching.
Pamela Paul The Book Review · Sep 2020
Discussed
Sonali dagala she was an economist Economist wave yeah her Memoir wave is about this horrific tragedy where she essentially lost her entire family in the in the tsunami.
Dwight Garner The Book Review · Jul 2019
Discussed
Wave by sonali German yagala which was about the death of the author's parents husband and children simultaneously from the um tsunami.
Megan O'Rourke The Book Review · Apr 2015

5 people who brought it up

Most recommendations first

Why people recommend it

Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala is a harrowing and deeply moving memoir documenting the author's survival of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which tragically claimed the lives of her entire family, including her husband, two children, and parents. The memoir has drawn profound critical acclaim and emotional discussion across literary podcasts. On The Ezra Klein Show, Rachel Bard recommended the book as her final suggestion, noting that while the account of losing an entire family in an instant sounds excruciating to read, the memoir is an essential and powerful work. On The Book Review, host Pamela Paul and various guests frequently referenced the memoir when discussing works of catastrophe, grief, and survival. Dwight Garner and Parl Seelig discussed the book passionately while debating its inclusion among the best memoirs since 1969, highlighting Deraniyagala's background as an economist and the sheer force of her writing in the face of unspeakable tragedy. Other contributors, such as Amy Schumer and various guest hosts, also engaged with the emotional resonance of the text, comparing its unsparing tone and exploration of catastrophic loss to other landmark works of autofiction and tragedy. Through these discussions, Wave is consistently recognized as a masterclass in bearing witness to grief and the enduring endurance of the human spirit.

Every mention

9 counted mentions · 1 passing or ad reads below
Rachel Bard And then a book called Wave by Sonia Dana Yagala, who is an economist. It's a it's a memoir that she wrote.… 1
Recommended
“And then a book called Wave by Sonia Dana Yagala, who is an economist. It's a it's a memoir that she wrote. She lost her entire family in the 2004 Sri Lankan tsunami. um, her husband, her two children, and her parents all at once. That sounds like it would be an excruciating memoir to read. It is an unbelievably”
Pamela Paul but so Tali daga's Memoir wave I don't know if you if you read that book and that book was a memoir really… 3
Discussed
“but so Tali daga's Memoir wave I don't know if you if you read that book and that book was a memoir really heart-wrenching”
Discussed
“and the sound of the the sort of tone of it reminded me and it probably has nothing in common with it but of another book which is a memoir but similarly kind of catastrophically tragic circumstances which was salali daga's book wave”
Discussed
“so this starts out in precisely that sweet spot for me but career and his family are not directly affected by the tsunami but they are surrounded by people whose lives are and thus the title lives other than my own and in a way the entire book is an exploration of how people's lives are linked to others and”
Dwight Garner sonali dagala she was an economist Economist wave yeah her Memoir wave is about this horrific tragedy where… 1
Discussed
“sonali dagala she was an economist Economist wave yeah her Memoir wave is about this horrific tragedy where she essentially lost her entire family in the in the tsunami”
Megan O'Rourke wave by sonali German yagala which was about the death of the author's parents husband and children simulta… 1
Discussed
“wave by sonali German yagala which was about the death of the author's parents husband and children simultaneously from the um tsunami”
Parul Sehgal a book I felt pretty passionate about is W by sunali deaga and all right 1
Discussed
“a book I felt pretty passionate about is W by sunali deaga and all right”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker2
Discussed
“yeah her Memoir wave is about this horrific tragedy where she essentially lost her entire family in the in the tsunami and she's an economist”
Discussed
“I reved wave and and I love W I had to be convinced by parl that was top 50”
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
Passing
“for listeners frantically taking notes about some of those books wave is sonali dagala”