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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The perspective of a Malaysian woman cooperating with the Japanese to overthrow British colonial rule was unique and well-grounded.
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Living through war means having to make choices from amongst a group of bad options….and dealing with their unforeseen consequences.
In the late 1930’s the country of Malaya is under British rule, as it has been for more than a hundred years. There is a definite social hierarchy of its inhabitants, with those who are British at the top and native Malayans who have some European ancestry, like Cecily and Gordon Alcantara, occupying the next rung down on the ladder.. People have different feelings about living under another country’s rule; Gordon, a mid level manager in the British-run public works administration in their town of Bintang (part of the city of Kuala Lumpur), looks up to his British superiors and does his best to emulate their mannerisms and behaviors, while Cecily harbors some measure of resentment that she and her family and friends will never be considered quite equal to those of the occupying race. Gordon and Cecily strike up a friendship with Bingley Chan, a trading merchant from Hong Kong, but over time Cecily discovers that Bingley is in fact named Fujiwara and is affiliated with the Japanese Imperial Army. Fujiwara talks to her of Japan ridding Asia of European control so that it will be led by Asians, and uses their conversations and their growing attraction to one another (neither of which is Gordon aware) to encourage Cecily’s simmering resentments. In time, Fujiwara is able to persuade her to use her position as Gordon’s wife to provide him with information that could prove helpful to Japan as they make plans to invade Malaya and overthrow the British who rule there. In effect, Cecily becomes a spy for the Japanese government, with Fujiwara her handler. She believes she is doing it both for love of her country and people and love for Fujiwara. When he disappears just before the Japanese invade, Cecily’s world collapses. She doesn’t know if Fujiwara’s treachery has been discovered and he has been imprisoned or worse, and if so if she will be the next to be taken away and interrogated. Or has he just abandoned her, now that she has provided the information he needed? As the Japanese military takes over as the ruling force, conditions for Malayans do not improve as Cecily and others had hoped. Those like Gordon who were ardent supporters of the British lose their jobs, and are set to more menial tasks. Young men and boys are duped into taking jobs or kidnapped to work in labor camps building the infrastructure to allow the furthering of Japanese expansion, while young women and girls are routinely snatched up and put to work in “comfort stations”, providing sex on demand for the Japanese soldiers. Ten years after the actions Cecily took to spy for Japan, she has a husband who can barely provide for the family’s needs, her older daughter Jujube working in a tea shop serving leering Japanese soldiers, her son Abel who disappeared one day and is feared either dead or toiling in a labor camp, and her young daughter Jasmin who the family hides in the basement lest she attract the attention of those looking for new comfort women (until the day she too disappears). Fujiwara has returned as a general and as head of the military in Bintang, but does not acknowledge Cecily and her past service to him, which infuriates her. But he may be her only hope to reunite her family..
This is a gripping story of an imperfect woman who, in waging a quiet revolution against the ruling force that shows disdain to those under its rule as well as the proscribed role of woman to be a wife, mother and homemaker without regard for her own abilities or dreams, sets in motion a series of events that will have catastrophic consequences for her family. Cecily has to live knowing that choices she made have caused such misery to her family….how does one live with that knowledge? Her children must come to terms with the evils that exist in the world, and how ill-equipped the people who should be protecting them (including their own parents) are to do so. The author Vanessa Chan has used information extracted from her grandparents, who lived through the years of Japanese occupation during WWII, years but about which they were reluctant to speak beyond saying that, “the times were bad, and they survived”. As an American, I have learned about many segments of that war over the years, but very little of a nation like Malaya which suffered brutally during those years….the portrayal of peoples’ lives in this novel has given me an entirely new glimpse at the horrors of war. The characters are well developed, and the setting and time satisfyingly evoked. With so much talk today of occupying forces, oppressors and oppressed, this novel provides a view of a different time and place when such terms were relevant, where there was good and bad to be found on all sides. I found this to be a fascinating read, and highly recommend it to those who have previously enjoyed works by Abraham Verghese, Jessamine Chan and Lisa See, among others. Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster/Marysue Rucci Books for allowing me access to an advanced reader’s copy.
In the late 1930’s the country of Malaya is under British rule, as it has been for more than a hundred years. There is a definite social hierarchy of its inhabitants, with those who are British at the top and native Malayans who have some European ancestry, like Cecily and Gordon Alcantara, occupying the next rung down on the ladder.. People have different feelings about living under another country’s rule; Gordon, a mid level manager in the British-run public works administration in their town of Bintang (part of the city of Kuala Lumpur), looks up to his British superiors and does his best to emulate their mannerisms and behaviors, while Cecily harbors some measure of resentment that she and her family and friends will never be considered quite equal to those of the occupying race. Gordon and Cecily strike up a friendship with Bingley Chan, a trading merchant from Hong Kong, but over time Cecily discovers that Bingley is in fact named Fujiwara and is affiliated with the Japanese Imperial Army. Fujiwara talks to her of Japan ridding Asia of European control so that it will be led by Asians, and uses their conversations and their growing attraction to one another (neither of which is Gordon aware) to encourage Cecily’s simmering resentments. In time, Fujiwara is able to persuade her to use her position as Gordon’s wife to provide him with information that could prove helpful to Japan as they make plans to invade Malaya and overthrow the British who rule there. In effect, Cecily becomes a spy for the Japanese government, with Fujiwara her handler. She believes she is doing it both for love of her country and people and love for Fujiwara. When he disappears just before the Japanese invade, Cecily’s world collapses. She doesn’t know if Fujiwara’s treachery has been discovered and he has been imprisoned or worse, and if so if she will be the next to be taken away and interrogated. Or has he just abandoned her, now that she has provided the information he needed? As the Japanese military takes over as the ruling force, conditions for Malayans do not improve as Cecily and others had hoped. Those like Gordon who were ardent supporters of the British lose their jobs, and are set to more menial tasks. Young men and boys are duped into taking jobs or kidnapped to work in labor camps building the infrastructure to allow the furthering of Japanese expansion, while young women and girls are routinely snatched up and put to work in “comfort stations”, providing sex on demand for the Japanese soldiers. Ten years after the actions Cecily took to spy for Japan, she has a husband who can barely provide for the family’s needs, her older daughter Jujube working in a tea shop serving leering Japanese soldiers, her son Abel who disappeared one day and is feared either dead or toiling in a labor camp, and her young daughter Jasmin who the family hides in the basement lest she attract the attention of those looking for new comfort women (until the day she too disappears). Fujiwara has returned as a general and as head of the military in Bintang, but does not acknowledge Cecily and her past service to him, which infuriates her. But he may be her only hope to reunite her family..
This is a gripping story of an imperfect woman who, in waging a quiet revolution against the ruling force that shows disdain to those under its rule as well as the proscribed role of woman to be a wife, mother and homemaker without regard for her own abilities or dreams, sets in motion a series of events that will have catastrophic consequences for her family. Cecily has to live knowing that choices she made have caused such misery to her family….how does one live with that knowledge? Her children must come to terms with the evils that exist in the world, and how ill-equipped the people who should be protecting them (including their own parents) are to do so. The author Vanessa Chan has used information extracted from her grandparents, who lived through the years of Japanese occupation during WWII, years but about which they were reluctant to speak beyond saying that, “the times were bad, and they survived”. As an American, I have learned about many segments of that war over the years, but very little of a nation like Malaya which suffered brutally during those years….the portrayal of peoples’ lives in this novel has given me an entirely new glimpse at the horrors of war. The characters are well developed, and the setting and time satisfyingly evoked. With so much talk today of occupying forces, oppressors and oppressed, this novel provides a view of a different time and place when such terms were relevant, where there was good and bad to be found on all sides. I found this to be a fascinating read, and highly recommend it to those who have previously enjoyed works by Abraham Verghese, Jessamine Chan and Lisa See, among others. Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster/Marysue Rucci Books for allowing me access to an advanced reader’s copy.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
This book is a really powerful and deep exploration on family dynamics, relationships during war time. It tackles very important issues and it made me think a lot about how you can lose yourself and your family, everything you hold dear to your heart due to outside interference like war. Very beautiful, amazing and emotional writing. A book that will stick with me.