Summary

The novel opens with a prelude entitled ‘Home,’ which takes place in Sri Lanka. Dhananjaya “Danny” Rajaratnam is a young Tamil boy in Sri Lanka, and he is fascinated by the legends of a nearby lagoon populated by singing fish. Danny and a friend go to the lagoon and wait there, hoping to see a mermaid. The novel then transitions to the main story, which takes place in Sydney, Australia, years later. Danny is a man in his mid-twenties. He has immigrated to Australia and is technically an illegal immigrant, so he is always frightened of being caught and deported. Danny makes money by cleaning people’s homes. One morning, when Danny is on his way to a job, a stranger calls him a ‘perfectionist’ and then says she means it ironically. Danny is befuddled by this comment. A little later, Danny sees a...