The Great Reclamation
By Rachel Heng
448 pages
What’s it about?
It is 1941 and Ah Boon is just 7-years-old when he helps direct his father to an unknown island off the coast of Singapore. The island is abundant with fish. After the discovery of this island a whole series of events seems to happen. World War II is waging and soon Ah Boon and his family find themselves under Japanese occupation. Ah Boon and his best friend Siok Mei struggle through the years of occupation and then find themselves fighting for independence from British rule. As these two characters grow into adulthood we see the history of Singapore through their eyes- from British rule, to Japanese occupation, to the struggle for independence, and even the affects of land reclamation. What did it make me think about? Singapore.Should I read it?
So I have begun to believe that there are two types of Historical Fiction readers. Some readers like a good mass market story that entertains and teaches us a little history. For those readers I think of The Engineers Wife by Tracy Enerson Wood, The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, or West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge as books they would enjoy. The other type of Historical Fiction book is a little more litrerary and dense in their presentation of history. I would use The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and Matrix by Lauren Groff as this type of Historical Fiction book. This book falls squarely in the latter category- Literary Fiction as well as Historical Fiction. It was so well-written and Rachel Heng does such masterful job of setting up this story. She uses her characters to teach us some of Singapore’s complicated history. I did not always like the choices the characters made- but each choice seemed to illuminate some part of Singapore’s history. I must say, Ah Boon was not my favorite literary character (and either was Siok Mei) and yet I still really enjoyed this book. This is a complicated story but Rachel Heng handles it deftly. Can’t wait for her next book! Having said that you know which type of Historical Fiction you prefer- so you choose.Quote-
“Decades later, the kampong would trace it all back to this very hour, waves draining the light from this slim, hungry moon. Decades later, they would wonder what could have been had the Lees simply turned back, had some sickness come upon the father manning the outboard motor, or some screaming fit befallen the youngest, forcing them to abandon the day’s work and steer their small wooden craft home. Decades later, they would wonder if any difference could have been made at all.”What’s it about?
It is 1941 and Ah Boon is just 7-years-old when he helps direct his father to an unknown island off the coast of Singapore. The island is abundant with fish. After the discovery of this island a whole series of events seems to happen. World War II is waging and soon Ah Boon and his family find themselves under Japanese occupation. Ah Boon and his best friend Siok Mei struggle through the years of occupation and then find themselves fighting for independence from British rule. As these two characters grow into adulthood we see the history of Singapore through their eyes- from British rule, to Japanese occupation, to the struggle for independence, and even the affects of land reclamation.
What did it make me think about?
Singapore.
Should I read it?
So I have begun to believe that there are two types of Historical Fiction readers. Some readers like a good mass market story that entertains and teaches us a little history. For those readers I think of The Engineers Wife by Tracy Enerson Wood, The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, or West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge as books they would enjoy. The other type of Historical Fiction book is a little more litrerary and dense in their presentation of history. I would use The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and Matrix by Lauren Groff as this type of Historical Fiction book. This book falls squarely in the latter category- Literary Fiction as well as Historical Fiction. It was so well-written and Rachel Heng does such masterful job of setting up this story. She uses her characters to teach us some of Singapore’s complicated history. I did not always like the choices the characters made- but each choice seemed to illuminate some part of Singapore’s history. I must say, Ah Boon was not my favorite literary character (and either was Siok Mei) and yet I still really enjoyed this book. This is a complicated story but Rachel Heng handles it deftly. Can’t wait for her next book! Having said that you know which type of Historical Fiction you prefer- so you choose.
Quote-
“Decades later, the kampong would trace it all back to this very hour, waves draining the light from this slim, hungry moon. Decades later, they would wonder what could have been had the Lees simply turned back, had some sickness come upon the father manning the outboard motor, or some screaming fit befallen the youngest, forcing them to abandon the day’s work and steer their small wooden craft home. Decades later, they would wonder if any difference could have been made at all.”
