Chan Ling Yap

"We are separated by race, religion, custom and practically everything I can think of"
By sally tarbox on 21 March 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
This certainly falls into the chick-lit category: the characters are a little 'flat' and the conversations often stilted - but I have to say it's still a rollocking good read for all that.
The novel opens in 1969 in Oxford, UK, where our star-crossed Malaysian lovers - Chinese An-Mei and Muslim Hussein - are aware that once they leave university, their relationship will be difficult. Back in Malaysia there was massive racial conflict and violence at this time, such that An-Mei's parents are fleeing to the UK.
But An-Mei returns home with Hussein, and their problems are only just beginning...
A lot happens, the story keeps you interested and I enjoyed it as an undemanding bit of entertainment.… (mais)

A really interesting concept, but the author really falls short on several levels. The setting of China/Malaysia/Singapore in the midst of the Opium Wars and the Taiping Rebellion gives plenty of source material, but the book simply doesn't do enough to place the reader in the time period.

For starters, the characters are exceedingly flat. Even the main character doesn't really 'change', despite the book's title and awkwardly late second part (approximately 85% in to the book). Instead, the characters slowly come to interact with one another with only a limited capacity, have few faults, and quickly disappear and reappear unrealistically.

I love historical fiction, but this was really difficult to get through. There isn't really any climax or convincing drama, and uneven/unknown passages in time. The characters also use English colloquialisms and slang, although this is a relatively minor complaint.

This is one of the few cases where I honestly am not sure what the takeaway message is, and couldn't associate with any of the characters. I really tried to look for reasons to give this one more stars, but there are very few redeeming qualities and too limited a plot structure to warrant this.… (mais)