I was only twelve years old when I read martin Wickramasinghe's Madol Doova for the first tme. It is a very interesting children's adventure story. This book is so popular that it has been translated into several roreign languages too. It was also made into a film.
The main characters of the story are Upali and Jinna. We meet Upali Ginivella as a motherless child of seven years. After one year of his other's death his father gets married again. The stepmother is not s cruel woman, but she does not know how to look after a motherless child on the other hand, she also can't understand a child's world. upali does not get the love and affection from his father and mother. He feels like and outsider in his own family. Upali is not interested in schooling. Jinna is Upali's best friend and is also a relation. Both Upali and Jinna lead a mischieveous lives with Siripala, Dangadasa and Hinne Mahaththaya. Upali is a courageous and hard working boy. He loved adventure.
After stealing cashew from Upasaka Appu's garden, Upali and Jinna leave home and find work in a hena which is owned by Podigamarala.
He teaches them to cultivate and also to use a gun. after sometime, Upali and Jinna go to Madol Doova and started cultivation there. Finally they become good farmers.
