I met Ru Freeman a few years ago at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference where we were both work-study scholars—she on the social staff, and me a waiter. Earlier this year, Guernica published Jesse’s Story in its fiction section.

Now, Ru has published her first novel, A Disobedient Girl.

Set in Sri Lanka, it’s the story of two young women from different places in that island’s class structure. A Disobedient Girl is about the lives of women and the history of Sri Lanka; it’s a beautifully written, at times heart-wrenching, but also jubilant.

Bio: Meakin Armstrong is Guernica’s fiction editor. You can follow him on Twitter at @meakinarmstrong.