This is such a beautiful story. I found myself on an emotional roller coaster. It is both the story of Cecily, her family, her relationship with Fugiwara and the impact that occupation has upon her community in Malaysia. While Cecily's story dominates the narrative, each of her children has their unique story to tell. It opened my eyes to the history of Malaysia during the 30's and during the Japanese occupation during the war.. I loved that the Chan introduced her book with the insight that her Grandparents could hardly bear to share their stories during this period. I will certainly want to encourage others to read this book and I cannot wait to read more of Chan's work.

The Storm We Made unfolds in Malaya during the tumultuous period between 1935 and 1945, centring around Cecily and her family. This intricate narrative spans two timelines, delving into a complex history that addresses challenging themes, making for a sometimes unsettling reading experience.

The storytelling intricacies are apparent, with a notable focus on certain characters, while others receive more cursory exploration. This variance in character depth occasionally poses challenges in comprehending the motives of each individual, adding a layer of complexity to the narrative.

The novel provides a demanding glimpse into the historical tapestry of Malaya, offering readers a profound and at times uncomfortable insight into the challenges faced by the characters against the backdrop of the region's complex history.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

The storm we made is set in Malaya between 1935 and 1945. It follows Cecily and her family. A complex history told over two timelines, it deals with difficult topics and at times is not a pleasant read.

The story is complex and I felt that some characters were looked at in detail, whereas others were skimmed over. This made it a little difficult at times to understand the motives of everyone.

A difficult insight into the history of Malaya.

As a Brit that lived in Malaysia, this book had me hooked from the first page. I didn't know any part of this history and this work of fiction was the perfect introduction to what will be far more research on the topic.

The Storm We Made follows a mother (Cecily) and her three children (Jujube, Abel and Jasmin) during the British and Japanese occupation of Malaya in the 1930s and 1945. Chan's writing is so evocative and each point of view is so beautifully crafted and authentic to each narrative voice. Whilst the overall theme is one of struggle, the undertone of resistance, family and love is something that really shone through.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is a story that will stay with me for a long time.

This is a fascinating story, based on the events of WWII in Malaya (now Malaysia) from 1935-1945 and I was hooked from the authors note at the start, having not read much about the impact of the war in Asia before.

A housewife turn spy, Cecile, is a very complex character. The story is initially told from her POV and then later, from the POVs of her children. I felt for Cecile, despite not necessarily liking her, as she had some difficult decisions to make, however it was her daughters, Jujube and Jasmin who really captured my heart.

Vanessa Chan’s writing is sublime.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Vanessa Chan and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This was a sad and very emotive story. The horrors of war were very evident . It is always the innocent that suffer the most and very difficult to understand why people do such terrible things to each other. It is a book that will live in my memory for a very long time.

This is a beautifully written book dealing with a very difficult subject and one I knew little about and I loved it. The story is told by different characters and in different timelines and done in an excellent way keeping the story very addictive. The historical content was so interesting and as I said one I didn’t know much about and although it had some heartbreaking moment this was dealt with by the author with a great deal of empathy which is difficult when describing such a destructive war.
I loved the characters they were all very different and I particularly liked the character of Yuki and her tragic life. The setting, the story, the characters, the history they were all crafted into a wonderful read and a book not to be forgotten.
My thanks to Vanessa Chan for a beautiful read.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A beautifully written, hypnotic tale of a family in Malaysia during WW2. The sheer terror at times, the brutality and desperation is unflinching but there is also love for family and friends that gives hope for the future. Cecily, the mother of the family, falls victim to obsessive and blind love of a man and changes the lives of her family and the nation forever. This is a heartbreaking story but immensely engaging and a really wonderful book.

This is a powerful book, written about the impact of the invasion of Malaya by the Japanese during the Second World War, and in particular its effects on one family.

We meet Gordon and Cecilia, making a good life for their family under the British rule, so they have plenty to lose when the Japanese arrive. But Cecilia has a secret, she has come under the spell of a Japanese man who is using her to spy on her husband's work to bring forward the Japanese invasion. They have three children - Abel, Jujube and little Jasmin. The war will have a huge impact on each of them, as well as on people connected to the family.

Its a strong and very sad story, which I found a fascinating read. However, I found the style of writing quite difficult. Not only does the key character change in each chapter, but the timeline jumps around from pre-war to the time of the conflict. Personally I would have preferred a more structured timeline, so as a reader we could enjoy and easily follow the story.

A strong read; I was touched by it very much. Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a book.
From the first to the last word, I was absolutely captivated by The Storm We Made.
It’s a part of history than I knew absolutely nothing about and by listening to this book, I felt I learnt a lot. I really enjoyed the multiple narratives of Cecily and her three children, as each voice added fresh detail, nuance and context to the events of the novel. The plot is filled with such cruelty and sadness that I was on the edge my seat and gasping throughout. However, it’s so beautifully written that I could not stop reading and I really appreciated the glimmers of light in all the darkness. The kindness and camaraderie that got the characters through was uplifting and inspiring.

All in all, this book is absolutely everything I want from a reading experience and it’s a very strong candidate for my favourite book of the year.

Perfect for fans of historical novels and family dramas. I can’t recommend this book enough.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of historical fiction, and have a soft spot for those set during World War 2. This is the first book that I have read set in Malaya (as it was then known) and I found it fascinating. Covering around ten years from 1935 to 1945, the events are told through the eyes of one family. There is no doubt the author has done her homework, as the story is beautifully told and is clearly based on fact in order to provide us with believable and heartfelt fiction.
From the oppression and racism of the British occupation to the brutality and poverty when the Japanese invaded - this is a hard tale, but it is told with honesty and integrity.
Cecily, the matriarch of the family, isn’t easy to like, but following her story gave me so much understanding and I felt sympathy for her situation and decisions. Her children’s stories are well told, tender and heartbreaking at times. (Tissues will be required readers.)
I throughly recommend The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan, and I will definitely be looking out for anything else she writes in future. She is one to watch.

The Storm We Made follows the events unfolding around Cecily and her family in Malaya during the 30s, under British rule, and in 1945, under Japanese occupation. Cecily, unhappy with British oversight, secretly aids the Japanese without knowing the heavy cost that is to come. A personal and intimate account from the perspective of Cecily and her children, Jujube, Abel and Jasmin, we see first hand how life is turned on its head with the arrival of war to their shores. As beautiful as this novel is it is just as barbaric at the hands of the Japanese. Such brutality and cruelty is hard to stomach, at times, but is offset by gentle kindness and unexpected friendships that help see this family through the challenges they face together and apart.

If I look back on the many books I have read as an adult, I would reckon a high percentage are novels set during WWII. I am drawn to the inspiring, seemingly impossible struggle to overcome and defeat evil. The pain, the suffering, the fortitude to persevere no matter the odds, fighting for a cause bigger than any individual speaks to the resilience of the soul. I appreciate the unique perspective of the war on this island nation. Brutal and awful to behold but even a small act of kindness brings peace and love. A touching story so beautifully told, The Storm We Made will stay with me for some time to come.

This book is set between 1937-1945 when World War 2 is going on in British occupied Malaya. This is the first book I have read during the war that isn't based in England, Germany or France and I found that I learnt a lot!

Japan, Germany and Italy join forces to try and overturn the British who have been ruling for over 100 years. The book is told from Cecily and her children's point of view, before and after the Japanese invasion. Abel the son is captured as a prisoner of war and is in camp on the Burma/Thai border where is is beaten and abused. Jasmine the youngest runs away when things get tough and Cecily ends up becoming an informer and getting involved with questionable people even though she thinks she is doing it for the right reasons.

The book is harrowing and shows what an awful time it was to be living through. Vanessa done a great job at making this feel real and believable. I liked there was still friendship, love and hope there even with all the pain.
It opened my eyes to a time in history I knew nothing about and has made me want to learn more about this. I really enjoyed this book and I will be recommending to others

Favourite line - 'That's love isn't it she said, to know badness lives in someone but to love anyway'

This is a story set over two time periods, before the Japanese occupation of Malaya and after it. It concerns the fate of one Eurasian family,

This is astonishly good. Have no doubts about it, it is a gruelling read. The atrocities done by the colonialists, both British and Japanese are awful and the effects that these have on the humanity of the family are dreadful.

Cecily the mother of the family has done a terrible thing. When her son Abel disappears after the Japanese invasion she believes that misfortune has fallen upon her family because of her actions. I found it hard to empathise with Cecily. She is in thrall to a man and her actions are selfish and unthinking. The effect that the occupation has on her three children is terrible. I can't say more for fear of spoilers but I heartily recommend this book..

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I absolutely loved, loved, loved this book. Vanessa Chan’s debut is heartbreaking & harrowing but written in a beautiful, sparse style very well suited to this story of the Japanese Occupation of Malaya.

I have heard stories about the British then Japanese Occupation from my Mother who was a child living these occupations and this book brought her stories to life. The Author’s re-telling through the eyes of an Eurasian family felt so authentic and familiar.

I cannot recommend this book enough and dearly hope to read further works by this author. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers, Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC.

Although a fictional account, this book tells the story of the Japanese military invading Malaysia during the end of the 2nd World war. This book does not hold back on some of the atrocities committed by the Japanese towards civilians. It deals with a family and details their struggle to survive, the decisions they made and how this impacted not only on their family but the community as a whole.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance copy of this book.

A rather harrowing read that does not hold back in describing the horrors of the Japanese invasion of Malaya through one family's experiences. The mother's infatuation with an infiltrated Japanese spy leads to horrific consequences for the family.

This is advertised as for fans of Pachinko, one of my favourite books, so I was excited to read it. It is an emotional rollercoaster, very powerful story about a part of history I had no idea about. However, the writing in itself wasn't my cup of tea as well as the chronological order or the story, and I found the characters quite plain when I was looking for more complexicity. So, while it wasn't really for me because it didn't fit was I was looking for, many others will love it.

This book is set in Malaya (Malaysia today) and its story has two time lines. The first one starts in the mid-30s with the country under British colonial rule, which ends temporarily with the invasion of the Japanese army in 1941. The second one is set in 1945, the time when the brutality of the new Japanese occupiers had reached its peak. Both occupations were inhumane in their own way and we are witness to this as we accompany a Malayan family through those times.

The central character of the story is Cecily, married to a man who works in an administrative function for the British, who she despises. She is also the mother of three much loved children. In the hope to drive out the colonisers and to strengthen Asian rule, Cecily becomes a spy for the Japanese, accessing intelligence using her husband’s position. This gives her a feeling of importance, of significance and hope for the future, but her choice has dire consequences for all in her community. In the centre of this whirlpool of unintended consequences is her family, which is torn apart in the most heart-breaking way.

The book is quite fast-paced and is combines features of a spy novel, a thriller and a historical drama. It was however not exactly what I look for in a historical novel. I find the idea that Cecily single-handedly, through her spy activities, enables the success of the Emperor’s Army quite far-fetched. I did however enjoy reading and learning about the general context of how the World War affected Asia, since so much literature tends to focus on Europe. I loved the parts that explored the characters of her children, their actions, thoughts and interactions in the life of their family. I certainly don’t regret having read this book.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book become one of my favourites this 2023 that publish in January 2024. I love how raw the characters feel when you read this book, and how harsh the whole environment of the sociopolitical ambiance was just chef kiss for me. A very well elaborated historical drama, and delightful creation of characters and the most intriguing storytelling I read this year. This book got everything you need if your cuppa of tea is a historical drama. Vanessa the author can write and she write beautifully. I end up with a broken heart and the author bring my back to life many times with this story. I recommend it to everyone who want to read a brilliant book. Thank you very much to NetGalley, the author, and hodder and stoughton for the access to this ARC