Couldn't put it down, Heartbreaking love and loss in Singapore during the second world war and the courage of those who lived through it, Excellent But what else would we expect from Ann Bennett
The author is excellent with wartime drama, A girl searches for her deceased mother's past and finds her grandmother's past in Singapore, A heartbreaking drama in WWII, I loved it!
This timeslip novel, set in Singapore, moves between the experiences of Lara inand those of her Malay grandmother, Suria, during the Japanese occupation in World War Two.
Wondering why her mother had grown up in an orphanage, Lara is hoping that a beautiful amulet on a silver chain, kept by her mother all her life will lead her to discover its original owner.
As Lara travels nervously to Malaysia and then Singapore, we meet Suria whose name was inscribed on
the amulet,
Suria has left her small village on the Malay peninsula to find work in Singapore, That way she can send money to her mother who is sick, Unfortunately, she loses her job through no fault of her own and so reluctantly she accepts the help of British Army officer, Charles Simmonds to obtain a job at the famous Raffles Hotel.
Circumstances throw the two together, but as the Japanese army approach, there can be no happy ending,
Lara is trying to come to terms with the fact that her mother had never seemed satisfied with her achievements and now she has died before they understood each other.
Coming on her own to the Far East takes courage, and soon she is entangled in a fraudulent enterprise, However, she does have some success in locating the orphanage, but should she trust in the helpful young Australian she has just met
Surias story is poignant and painful.
She suffers badly and loses everything, She is such a believable character the reader naturally empathises with her predicament and as Lara gradually gains knowledge of her grandmother, she must have been proud.
The description of Singapore at the beginning of thest century is authentic and detailed, and the events ofare accurate accounts of the experiences of the population of Singapore during the invasion.
There is a feeling of redemption in Laras story which gives the book a feeling of hope for the future, I have now read several books by Ann Bennett all with Singapore/Malaya as the theme and I now feeling a little jaded with the themes of women who come to Singapore searching for lost parents, love or whatever.
No doubt that ms Bennett has a lot of information on the Japanese occupation of Singapore and how beastly they were but I feelmust move on with my reading.
Normally, I would givefor a solidly constructed narrative, However, this is another of this author's books that for me narrates an interesting situation, convincing characters and evokes the tropical clime adroitly.
Coupled with the clarity of a prose style that also has in many places the authenticity of a memoir,
I will read more of Ann Bennet's work I hope that one day she embarks on a much longer work with a few story strands based on her themes around ordinary people doing their best in extraordinary situations in the Far East.
We are due for another 'Far Pavilions' in terms of scope and theme,
This blend of calm clear narrative of 'ordinary' characters in 'exotic' locations and overlapping time periods is reminiscent in flavour of some of the great Nevil Shute's works.
More later when I have had a chance to read another Ann Bennett, I really loved this book
Ive really enjoyed all her books this one is no exception, I cant wait until she releases another one, I will definitely read it, Another gripping story
I really enjoyed this book, It was interesting to read about Sindapore during the war and what happened when the Japanese invaded, If you like this type of genre you well enjoy this book, Intriguing
This book gives a lot of detail about WWand the characters make it very personal, Interesting and very touching. Another brilliant story
A very interesting story, Historical and modern. Ive visited Singapore quite a few times and could identify with the geography of the island, Loved it. Wow!
This is Anne Bennetts most powerful book yet, Her detailed descriptions of brutal Japanese soldiers and the comfort girls was riveting but very disturbing, But she accurately captures the horrors of war, And the details of a heartfelt love story that was hampered by the ravages of war, I gained a better understanding of why the Japanese were so despised in SE Asia due to their brutality during WWII, I highly recommend this book to learn how Malaysia and Singapore residents suffered during the war, Fascinating Read
Great story plus history lesson as well, The timeslips were smooth and the story rolled out seamlessly across the years, A heartbreaking novel of love and loss set in WWSingapore, After her mothers death, Lara discovers a beautiful amulet amongst her belongings,engraved with the words “for Suria, ”Suspecting Suria to be the grandmother she never met,Lara travels to Singapore to find out why her mother was committed to the care of a local orphanage during World War Two.
In, Suria, a poor Malay girl working in a tailors shop and living in a communal warehouse, is befriended by a British officer, Charles Simmonds.
They start to grow close, but war threatens to engulf Singapore and tear them apart, While delving into her grandmothers past,Lara is forced to confront betrayal and brutality as she learns some disturbing truths about families and friendships.
Raffles Hotel is a colonial style luxury hotel in Singapore, During WWII, Raffles Hotel was renamed Syonan Ryokan meaning Light of the South when the Japanese occupied, The Tanglin Club is one of the most prominent and prestigious social clubs in Singapore, founded in, It was used by the IJA as an officer's club, Convent Orphanages existed to receive, nurture and educate abandoned babies, The Sook Ching massacre was a systemic purge of perceived hostile elements among the Chinese in Singapore and Chinese Malayans by the Japanese military during the Occupation of Singapore and Malaya, after the British surrender.
III Corps was formed by the Indian Army in WWII for service in Southeast Asia, The corps fought in the Battle of Singapore, surrendering in Feb, The British had plansOperation Matador and Operation Krohcolto move forward into the south of Siam to forestall Japanese advances, However,lack of forewarning,combined with caution over upsetting Japan needlessly with precipitate actions,prevented the plans from being implemented,making it easier for the Japanese to defeat them and take them prisoner in horrific camps like Changi.
Comfort women were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the IJA in occupied countries prewar and during WWII,or who participated in voluntary prostitution.
These women were brutally raped and treated deplorably by both IJA, and civilians, who saw them as collaborators, From awardwinning author Ann Bennett, comes a new, heartbreaking novel set in Singapore, during World War Two,
Perfect for fans of Dinah Jeffries and Victoria Hislop,
After her mothers death, Lara discovers a beautiful amulet amongst her belongings, engraved with the words “for Suria, ”
Suspecting Suria to be the grandmother she never met, Lara travels to Singapore to find out why her mother was committed to the care of a local orphanage during World War Two.
In, Suria, a poor Malay girl working in a tailors shop and living in a communal warehouse, is befriended by a British officer, Charles Simmonds.
They start to grow close, but war threatens to engulf Singapore and tear them apart,
While delving into her grandmothers past, Lara is forced to confront betrayal and brutality as she learns some disturbing truths about families and friendships
Praise for Ann Bennett
'A vivid account of a brutal period, and a searing exploration of trauma, memory and loss.
. ' The Lady Magazine.
Have just discovered this writer So descriptive of the Far East, Harrowing in parts but unputdownable! Best author I have read in a very long time, Amazon er.
This was a story of love, passion and cruelty I could not put down, Lizeanne Lloyd Lost in a Good Book
I raced through this book in just over twentyfour hours I literally could not put it down.
Bibliobeth Goodreads.
I really loved this haunting, powerful and beautiful novel, Amazon er.