Set in London where the Sri Lankan narrator lives, The Sandglass tells the story of two feuding families whose lives are interlinked by the changing fortunes of post-colonial Sri Lanka. Gunesekera brings to life Prins Ducal and his search for answers concerning his family's past in Sri Lanka, including his father's rise to wealth, rivalry with the Vatunas family, and suspect death - a mystery that further unfolds upon Prins's arrival in London for his mother's funeral.