Author Description

Product Description <br/>A beautiful, stunningly ambitious novel set in World War II Singapore about a woman who survived the Japanese occupation and a man who thought he had lost everything--for fans of Pachinko and We Were the Lucky Ones<br/>Singapore, 1942. As Japanese troops sweep down Malaysia and into Singapore, a village is ransacked, leaving only two survivors and one tiny child.<br/>In a neighboring village, seventeen-year-old Wang Di is strapped into the back of a troop carrier and shipped off to a Japanese military brothel where she is forced into sexual slavery as a ""comfort woman."" After sixty years of silence, what she saw and experienced still haunts her.<br/>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 never could have foreseen.<br/>Weaving together two time lines and two very big secrets, this stunning debut opens a window on a little-known period of history, revealing the strength and bravery shown by numerous women in the face of terrible cruelty. Drawing in part on her family's experiences, Jing-Jing Lee has crafted a profoundly moving, unforgettable novel about human resilience, the bonds of family and the courage it takes to confront the past.<br/> Review <br/>Debut novelist Lee creates a compelling story of generations haunted by war and the silence surrounding their suffering. A historical novel about 'comfort women' in Singapore restores the dignity of the survivors and criticizes the misogyny that marked their lives.-- "Kirkus Reviews"<br/><br/><br/>Shattering, tender, and absorbing...I'm reeling from its power-what an absolute triumph.-- "Fiona Mitchell, author of The Maid's Room"<br/> About the Author <br/>Jing-Jing Lee was born and raised in Singapore. She earned a master's degree in creative writing from Oxford in 2011 and has since seen h