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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Taking place over 10 years, from 1935 to 1945, a mother, Cecily looks back over her choices and her role in bringing the Japanese to colonize over the British in Malaya.
The time goes back in forth between the end in 1945 then back 9 years, 8 years, etc and at the same time, the viewpoint of her son, who was taken and put in a camp, as well as other viewpoints.
This is a book to read when you can handle a difficult story. As in many WWII books, there isn’t really anything “good” or happy that happens. At the same time, I found myself thinking about these characters when I wasn’t reading the book.
Many people in the #bookfriendsbookclub really enjoyed the audio for this one - they felt it was well done, so you might consider that if you’re interested in this one.
“…during a war, the only priority was one’s own family.” Ch 1 Cecily
“Isn’t every man a good man and a bad man?” Ch 2 Cecily
“Distance was a deceiver in that way, lulling her into a sense of stability and security,…” ch 15 Cecily
…
“She missed being a woman who cared about something, missed being a woman who was more than just an extension of her house and family.” ch 15 Cecily
“—some women just weren’t made for a peaceful life; she was someone who needed the simmering possibility of chaos.”
Ch 17 Cecily
“When Abel had been taken, their fear and pity had lasted longer. Perhaps it was earlier in the Occupation and people had not yet been cauterized to accept pain as part of existence. Or perhaps, Jujube thought, there was recognition that the first time something like this happened would be the hardest, but subsequent tragedies were supposed to get easier—like a scabbed-over wound that split open—you were already supposed to know how to feel; you did not need the salve of extended sympathy.” Ch 18 Jujube
The time goes back in forth between the end in 1945 then back 9 years, 8 years, etc and at the same time, the viewpoint of her son, who was taken and put in a camp, as well as other viewpoints.
This is a book to read when you can handle a difficult story. As in many WWII books, there isn’t really anything “good” or happy that happens. At the same time, I found myself thinking about these characters when I wasn’t reading the book.
Many people in the #bookfriendsbookclub really enjoyed the audio for this one - they felt it was well done, so you might consider that if you’re interested in this one.
“…during a war, the only priority was one’s own family.” Ch 1 Cecily
“Isn’t every man a good man and a bad man?” Ch 2 Cecily
“Distance was a deceiver in that way, lulling her into a sense of stability and security,…” ch 15 Cecily
…
“She missed being a woman who cared about something, missed being a woman who was more than just an extension of her house and family.” ch 15 Cecily
“—some women just weren’t made for a peaceful life; she was someone who needed the simmering possibility of chaos.”
Ch 17 Cecily
“When Abel had been taken, their fear and pity had lasted longer. Perhaps it was earlier in the Occupation and people had not yet been cauterized to accept pain as part of existence. Or perhaps, Jujube thought, there was recognition that the first time something like this happened would be the hardest, but subsequent tragedies were supposed to get easier—like a scabbed-over wound that split open—you were already supposed to know how to feel; you did not need the salve of extended sympathy.” Ch 18 Jujube
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Death, Medical content, Abandonment, Alcohol
adventurous
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ugh I wanted to like this so badly. Okay, here's what I liked: the writing was lovely and immersive. I really enjoyed Chan's prose. Also the atmosphere of the setting was excellent. I really felt the tensions, the fear, the distrust that their community was feeling under Japanese occupation.
Here's what didn't work. This book follows four perspectives within one family in Malaya under Japanese Occupation during WWII. The focus was spread way too thin across these perspectives and each additional perspective added to the overall shallowness of each character we followed. There was also a random romance that was thrown in towards the end that I REALLY didn't enjoy. I wish the characterization had been more focused and went much deeper into one or two perspectives rather than bouncing poorly between four. Unfortunately this was a situation where the message of this book was so important but the execution fell flat for me.
Here's what didn't work. This book follows four perspectives within one family in Malaya under Japanese Occupation during WWII. The focus was spread way too thin across these perspectives and each additional perspective added to the overall shallowness of each character we followed. There was also a random romance that was thrown in towards the end that I REALLY didn't enjoy. I wish the characterization had been more focused and went much deeper into one or two perspectives rather than bouncing poorly between four. Unfortunately this was a situation where the message of this book was so important but the execution fell flat for me.
I didn’t check the trigger warnings and was not prepared. May pick it back up later.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book should have been faster paced, but the story kept going back between past and present. The history behind the time period was not detailed enough. The ending seemed super rushed, especially for the overall plot.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Violence, War
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement
emotional
informative
sad
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:
Yes
challenging
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. It was really, really good in some parts but other parts failed to grip me. I saw other reviews saying it’s a slow read and to me it was. It was just over 300 pages and took me a couple of weeks to finish. I’m not a huge fan of a lot of POVs because I find myself gravitating towards one and not being as invested in the others.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced