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Comments (23)

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1 to 23 of 23 items
Jul 04, 2022BWilsoned rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Beautifully lush writing evokes your sense of Malaysia during and after WWII. Still, I think it is a character-driven novel as Yun Ling struggles to deal having been a Japanese POW. She, and her male counterparts are all strong-willed and…
Dec 19, 2021steverino4 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Another astonishing work from the Malay novelist. Set in three time periods -WWII, the early 1950s, and the present - it follows a journey of redemption as a retired judge of Chinese heritage seeks to come to terms with her memories from…
Aug 27, 2021CamilleRalston rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
About a Japanese master gardener (and tattoo artist) in Malaysia and a Malaysian attorney who fell in love with him despite her hatred of the Japanese for what they did to her sister (comfort woman) in WWII and to her (imprisonment and…
Aug 21, 2021DanglingConversations rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Unusual view of the trauma of WWII from the perspective of a child brutalized by soldiers as the prize of war pillaging. Unforgettable story beautifully written.
Apr 11, 2019
My first book by Tan Tan Eng. The entire book is so beautifully crafted. It captivated me from the first page till the last one. His choice of words have such beautiful and rhythmic resonance. I am looking forward to reading his other…
Oct 21, 2016pearlydayze rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
An amazing Read! Do you self a favor & leaning experience, check out this Book! Set on a tea farm, post Japanese invasion of China's edges. Albeit coud be any place, it's the people that count! My college aged niece gave me this gift! …
Feb 17, 2016kencheung999 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Great read, beautifully written. Gives readers a sense of life during WWII and the "Emergency" in Malaysia.
Feb 15, 2016Liber_vermis rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This sublime and often melancholy story set in colonial Malaya and resumed in post-independence Malaysia has many themes that resonate with contemporary events and issues. As English might be the second language of the author, this…
Dec 10, 2015jazpur rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
What a beautiful book; compelling, haunting, memorable, .
Jan 26, 2015
Loved this book, interesting story that I never knew about the POW's in Malaysia. If you are a lover of Japanese style gardens this is eye candy for the book lover!!
Jan 29, 2014grannyat55 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Lovely story though I found it a little slow in the beginning pages. Interesting historical details of WW2 Malaysia.
nycskin
Nov 19, 2013nycskin rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book immensely. One of the best books of 2012. Please note that it is definitely a readers book.
Sep 11, 2013
This writer's second novel, short-listed for the Booker prize. Similar themes and settings to his first work, "The Gift of Rain". One of my favorites in 2013.
Aug 22, 2013ser_library rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
beautifully written and able to be raced through without losing too much detail however i was confused by the timing (1940's, 1951, present day) and some peripheral characters seemed to appear suddenly
Aug 03, 2013
Yun Ling Teoh is a woman, quite literally, scarred by war, a WW II Japanese labor camp in Malaya, who years afterward is still seeking answers to where she was and coming to terms with her sister?s death in the camp. Can a garden heal?…
Jul 10, 2013sjmack rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I had a hard time getting through this novel. While it is beautifully written and the imagery is among the best I’ve read, the pacing is very slow, I didn’t care about the main characters, and it tried to touch on too many topics. This…
Jun 18, 2013rlarmour rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
recommended by Mary Steel
Jun 10, 2013niceauntie rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
A gentle and beautiful story.
May 31, 2013WVMLStaffPicks rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This Man Booker shortlisted novel weaves a magical tale about Yun Ling, the sole survivor of a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp, who has recently retired as a judge in Kuala Lumpur. While writing her memoirs, she recalls her time spent as an…
Mar 06, 2013Travel rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I was mesmerized by this book. Tan's elegant writing draws you into the garden - I felt as if I were actually there. Wonderful characterization of the protagonist, who is Malayan Straights Chinese, the Japanese gardener,and the…
Jan 08, 2013JacquieM rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
One of the best books I have read this year, this novel is sensitive, intelligent and beautifully written.
Dec 07, 2012jeanie123 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book is so beautifully and thoughtfully written that it touched my soul. The horrors of the war experience and ensuing conflict are balanced and softened by the love and extreme devotion of remembering what was, what was lost, and…
Nov 20, 2012becker rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Yun Ling Teoh's memories and experiences of the Japanese occupation of Malaysia during World War II, told in both the past and present tense. This story has a beautiful flow to it.