“This book consists of two interesting themes. The first relates issues of identity in colonial Sri Lanka to what she calls ‘multiple loops of belonging,. Despite being the colonial power, Britain plays a remarkably shadowy role in this unfolding imaginary. The second thematic relates to technology, consumerism and desire. The author argues that the political word of empire and nation was relatively remote while material goods helped create new subjectivities and solidarities: under colonial rule Sri Lankans could consume, even if they could not vote. Keen to eschew colonial policies and prejudicial imaginings, the author draws upon a range of different sources and perspectives to establish a vernacular understanding of Sri Lanka,s encounter with the machine age. These include the Singer archive, and the sewing machine provides her with many of her most telling examples and insights. It is striking how successful sewing machine sales were on the island, with more than 110,000 in use by 1930, though she notes that few other modern machines gained such widespread.” http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00856401.2015.993011journalCode=csas20