Author: Jayanthi Sankar
Genre: Historical Novel, Fiction
Ratings: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
This is my second book by the author and her writing style differs greatly from the other authors that I have read. I like the way the author includes little notes to the readers in between the story. And I loved the sticky notes conversation between Li Wei and his mother, which shows a lot about their relationship.
The story started with Muthu searching for his roots and his remaining family left in Singapore, but it soon took a different turn and focused on many other characters and their lives. And I was a little confused connecting the story with more than a dozen characters.
I enjoyed reading the history of Singapore, but the fictional story was not that interesting to me. And Muthu’s character turned a little annoying for me towards the end and I was a little disappointed with how the story ended. But that’s just my opinion. Overall, it was a good read, but I liked misplaced heads compared to this one.
This book takes us through the origin and history of the island of Singapore, about its first inhabitants, the shipbuilding industries and how they emerged, labourers, contractors and their psychological behaviour, the challenges they had faced since their arrival in Singapore and much more.
It gives us the details on from where the original inhabitants came from, the kings who ruled the land, how it got its name, the immigrants from India, China, Bangladesh and the diverse culture of Singapore. The author has included fictional characters along with the history of Singapore and the story revolves around these characters and their failures, faults, successes and miserable lives.
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