this book was gut wrenching

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Trigger warnings ⚠️

Depictions of war, violence, death, sexual assault and trauma.

What the book is about 📖

The book alternates between Wang Di's and Kevin's perspectives. Wang Di navigates her present life after losing her husband, and tries to come to terms with the trauma she experienced during WWII, whereas Kevin has uncovered secrets about his family's past that ties back to his grandmother's actions during WWII. The story dives into Singapore's history during the war, and tells a heartbreaking story of the sufferings of comfort women throughout the war and its aftermath. It has themes of facing and overcoming trauma and shame, and brings you on a journey of pain and healing.

My thoughts 💭

I stumbled upon this book when I was trying to explore more local authors. The story broke my heart and was difficult to get through at times because of the themes of the book. That said, it was brilliantly written by Lee Jing Jing, and I absolutely loved it. She handled the difficult themes very well and told a really devastating story so beautifully. It brought me to tears at some parts. A very poignant novel that is a must read imo.

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