A disobedient girl a novel by Ru Freeman

The provided excerpts originate from the 2009 novel, A Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman, a work of fiction published by Simon \& Schuster. The text establishes the book's setting in Sri Lanka, particularly focusing on the dynamics between the wealthy Vithanage family and their servant, Latha, noting themes of social class, domestic life, and the restricted lives of women. The passages introduce multiple narrators or perspectives, revealing Latha’s complex relationship with the Vithanage's daughter, Thara, her illicit love affairs, and the narrative thread of a mother, Biso, who is fleeing an abusive husband with her children and seeking refuge in the hill country. The snippets track Latha's traumatic journey from domestic servitude to a convent after becoming pregnant and then to work for a new family, while Biso's struggle chronicles her arduous escape and the profound loss of her children along the way.