Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I am delighted that I chose this novel. I wanted a unique vision of the world and I got it. As a child I loved Pearl S.Buck's "The Good Earth" so I was open to exploring, in print, a different culture than my own. The main character, a young mixed culture (Chinese and Malayan) girl born in the time of the Tiger, is a worthy heroine. The story is set in the colonial period and we see a people and a culture struggle to maintain ancestral ties. I was worried that language and idioms of the time period would trip me up while reading, however, I adjusted easily thanks to a concise introduction by the author. The writing is lyrical but not flowery. I was transported to the time and place through the eyes of this feisty girl. I will give you a glimpse into the writer's skill. At the end of chapter one we can feel the promise of the rest of the novel "I can still picture the bright moon visible through the open air well, hear the clack-clacking of lizards scuttling about dark walls. In the rooms beyond chattering voices reverberated, while around me, stacked neatly on the floor and on wooden cabinets, were the utensils that would one day be my weapons." Buy this book and I believe you will enjoy this as much as I have