In One Word: Heartbreaking
A Beautiful Sentence: “But I have more salt than my grandson has had rice.”
The Plot: Set during Singapore’s Japanese Occupation, the story follows an eight-year-old Tamil boy who is separated from his father and forced to serve the Japanese military. Renamed Nanban, he learns their language, customs, and martial arts under Lieutenant Kurosawa’s guidance, while struggling to survive the brutal realities of war.
Had I not been in public, would I have been blabbering through that last chapter? Probably. It was the perfect conclusion to a book that takes you on a hell of a journey. On one side, we have this young, poor boy who witnesses his father’s murder. On the other side, the Japanese Lieutenant who treats the boy like a pet he owns. The boy is his.
The strength of this book lies in how perfectly well the writer conveys the unfairness of this relationship. There is the boy’s despair, the Lieutenant’s obliviousness, and the boy’s guiltt over the small joys he needs to survive. These chapters are interwoven with Pattapi’s story, the link between the boy and the Lieutenant. I loved this strong, female character with so many layers: A Chinese girl adopted by an Indian family, her dream of becoming the best tailor in town, and her accidental involvment in politics.
Another strength of this novel is that the writer knows exactly which details to include. Pattapi’s adoption story is mentioned just enough for us to connect to her. Similarly, the Lieutenant’s time in Japan adds to the narrative without feeling like a detour. And, of course, the Japanese invasion of Singapore that serves as a backdrop for these three characters.
Historical fiction often risks becoming a braindump, but the novel avoids that trap. Japanese terms, for example, appear only when essential to understanding the story. However, I would have liked more explanation of terms like Kokutai. Researching it revealed a broader ideology that reframes the novel’s perspective. Readers who don’t look up unfamiliar terms might miss this nuance.
And then there’s that last chapter. It feels like the Asian counterpart to the European book All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. What happens when the War ends? Not just for victims, but also for perpetrators? How do they reconcile their actions with the ideals they once believed in? Powerful.
Takeaway:
A touching read about power and survival in the setting of wartime in Singapore. This is Singaporean historical fiction at its finest.