a very by-the-book family saga that features this young naive boy whose perspective does at times feel overdone. i guess die-hard fans of this type of family tales will like this.

As a local of Singapore I was stunned by the writing and depth of this novel. The characters were well-written and the storyline was mesmerising from a small fishing village where Ah Boon grew up in and slowly transitioned to the war. I would highly recommend this book to those who love historical fiction or those who simply want a solid story which has differed from other books I’ve read.

I am slightly conflicted on this book - on the one hand, I enjoyed it and felt that Ah Boon and Siok Mei were captivating, well-drawn characters. On the other hand, I just never fully felt that I connected with the book - almost as if the characters were kept at arm’s length from me. I did learn a lot about the history of Singapore, which I appreciated, and I think Heng is a talented writer, but I enjoyed her first book more.

A history of Singapore’s transition from a lowly British colony through the Japanese occupation, independence and its development into a first world economy . Unique in that it is related from the point of view of a poor fishing family and community living a primitive village on the coast at the edge of jungle far from the city following the life and time of two children as they grow up into adults through this period. The reader will also learn something of Singhalese which is English interposed with Chinese and Malay words..