How We Disappeared

Name: How We Disappeared
Brand: Allen & Unwin
SKU: 9781786075956
Price: 22.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2020

By Jing-Jing Lee

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4.2

( 11,821 ratings, 1,430 reviews)

Summary

How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee is a poignant historical fiction novel set in Singapore. It follows the intertwined stories of a woman confronting her memories as a "comfort woman" during the Japanese occupation in World War II and a young boy in the late 20th century who stumbles upon a family secret. It sensitively explores themes of memory, trauma, and the untold histories that shape our present.
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Format: Paperback / softback

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How We Disappeared

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this poignant novel if you're captivated by stories that intertwine past and present, bringing to light hidden narratives of World War II's impact on Singapore. This book skilfully blends the historical with the personal, exploring themes of memory, loss, and resilience in times of war and peace.

A beautiful, stunningly ambitious tale of endurance, identity, and memory, for fans of Min Jin Lee's Pachinko and Georgia Hunter’s We Were the Lucky Ones.

A beautiful, stunningly ambitious tale of endurance, identity, and memory, for fans of Min Jin Lee's Pachinko and Georgia Hunter’s We Were the Lucky Ones.

Description

The heart-rending story of survival and endurance in Japanese-occupied Singapore.

Singapore, 1942. As Japanese troops sweep down Malaysia and into Singapore, a village is ransacked, leaving only three survivors, one of them a tiny child.

In a neighbouring village, seventeen-year-old Wang Di is bundled into the back of a troop carrier and shipped off to a Japanese military brothel. After sixty years of silence, what she saw and experienced there still haunts her.

And in the year 2000, twelve-year-old Kevin is sitting beside his ailing grandmother when he overhears a mumbled confession. He sets out to discover the truth, wherever it might lead, setting in motion a chain of events he could never have foreseen.

Weaving together two timelines and two very big secrets, this evocative, profoundly moving and utterly dazzling debut opens a window on a little-known period of history, and heralds the arrival of a thrilling new literary star.

How We Disappeared is an exceptional novel that intricately explores the complexities of the past and present.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee is highly praised for its gripping depiction of wartime Singapore and the complex interplay of memory, trauma, and redemption. Critics highlight its elegant prose and the novel's emotive power in tackling silenced stories of the past, particularly those concerning "comfort women" and their experiences. The book is frequently described as both heartbreaking and hopeful, remarkable for its vivid storytelling and profound emotional depth.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781786075956

Publisher: Oneworld Publications

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 February 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Oneworld Publications

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 352

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Historical Fiction Jing-Jing Lee Literary Fiction

About the Author

Jing-Jing Lee was born and raised in Singapore. She obtained a master's degree in Creative Writing from Oxford in 2011, and has since seen her poetry and short stories published in various journals and anthologies. Jing-Jing’s novella, If I Could Tell You, was published by Marshall Cavendish in 2013 and her debut poetry collection, And Other Rivers, was published by Math Paper Press in 2015. How We Disappeared is her first novel. She currently lives in Amsterdam.