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The Hong Kong Collection
The Orchid Tree
Hong Kong 1941 and the streets are filled with Japanese soldiers. Two young people are brought together then separated by terrible cruelty.
Fifteen-year-old Kate lives a rarefied life of wealth and privilege in the pre-war Hong Kong expatriate community, but when the Japanese invade she’s interned in squalid Stanley Camp with her parents.
Enduring cramped conditions, humiliation, disease, and starvation, Kate befriends seventeen-year-old Charles, who is half Chinese, and they give their hearts to each other under the orchid tree.
Meanwhile, forty miles away in Portuguese Macau, thirteen-year-old Sofia’s suspicions are aroused when her father invites a Japanese family to dinner, an event which leads to a breach between Sofia and her controlling half-brother, Leo.
In December 1948, adult Kate returns to Hong Kong, determined to put the past behind her. Sofia dreams of leaving Macau and starting a new life, and she won’t let anyone, not even Leo, stop her.A young Englishman, James, becomes the link between Kate and Sofia. The communist-nationalist struggle in China spills over into the colony, catapulting the protagonists into the turmoil with disastrous consequences.
Fifteen-year-old Kate lives a rarefied life of wealth and privilege in the pre-war Hong Kong expatriate community, but when the Japanese invade she’s interned in squalid Stanley Camp with her parents.
Enduring cramped conditions, humiliation, disease, and starvation, Kate befriends seventeen-year-old Charles, who is half Chinese, and they give their hearts to each other under the orchid tree.
Meanwhile, forty miles away in Portuguese Macau, thirteen-year-old Sofia’s suspicions are aroused when her father invites a Japanese family to dinner, an event which leads to a breach between Sofia and her controlling half-brother, Leo.
In December 1948, adult Kate returns to Hong Kong, determined to put the past behind her. Sofia dreams of leaving Macau and starting a new life, and she won’t let anyone, not even Leo, stop her.A young Englishman, James, becomes the link between Kate and Sofia. The communist-nationalist struggle in China spills over into the colony, catapulting the protagonists into the turmoil with disastrous consequences.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 22, 2015
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888 people want to read
About the author
Siobhan Daiko
28 books321 followersSiobhan Daiko is a British historical fiction author. A lover of all things Italian, she lives in the Veneto region of northern Italy with her husband, a Havanese dog and a Siberian cat. Siobhan was born of English parents in Hong Kong, attended boarding school in Australia, and then moved to the UK — where she taught modern foreign languages in a Welsh high school. She now spends her time writing page-turners and living the dolce vita sweet life near Venice. Her novels are compelling, poignant, and deeply moving, with strong female characters and evocative settings, but always with romance at their heart. You can find more about her books on her website www.siobhandaiko.org
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
February 15, 2015
I read and loved Siobhan Daiko's 'In My Lady's Shadow' and was really looking forward to this book. I was not disappointed. Once I started this mesmerizing book, I was hooked and could not put it down until I had reached the end. The author is brilliant at setting the scene and post war Hong Kong came alive for me. Each character is beautifully drawn and comes alive on the page so I was living and breathing this book. An evocative tale, beautifully told. Highly recommended.
February 5, 2015
The Orchid Tree is a thoroughly enjoyable recreational novel. This, despite the subject matter of the Japanese internment camp in Stanley, which the author has obviously researched extensively. She describes the fauna and flora with expertise, and occasionally brings realism to her text : “The pungent sweaty-socks smell of the sub-tropical forest”.......”dense clumps of vegetation hanging like interwoven ropes”. The heroine, Kate, however, quickly realises that “no amount of beautiful scenery will compensate for my loss of freedom”.
The apparition of the tiger is distracting; yet all they can think of when it is caught and killed is the meat and who will enjoy it. There are several graphic descriptions of the food in the camp, which is grisly and far from appetising. Nor is the apparition of the bedbugs, in chapter 9, appealing. Ms Daiko describes them with detachment but precision, so that the scene can be easily visualised.
Malaria strikes Kate’s mother and the author cleverly shifts the scene to Macau, also suffering tribulations in the form of severe cold and shortages of food. We meet another major character Sofia. Her governess, Natalia and her brother Leo, are also significant. Leo’s choice of Michiko as his bride is of note. Meanwhile, Charles and Kate grow closer, despite (or perhaps because of) the atrocities which occur in the camp. We are distracted from this by an introduction to the theme of collaboration (this time in Macau.
The canvas is vast. Where the author could have gone off on enormous tangents, instead, she pulls the plot together so that we focus on Kate, and Charles, and in addition she introduces Sofia and James, and Sofia’s family - the novel is a rich tapestry.
The whole makes for entertaining reading, and like Ms Daiko’s previous novel, “In Her Lady’s Shadow”, “The Orchid Tree” is more than a sketchy plot relying on trivial emotions. The author’s attention to detail is apparent and she writes with authentic feeling about a place that she knows. At the same time she introduces the levity of fiction, an authoritative descriptive power and constant movement so that her readers are always seeking to find out the next event. There are also examples of wonderful humour, such as when she describes “the zing” that goes through her heroine when she is kissing. While I could identify with the feeling, the description made me laugh! There are several examples of juxtaposing plain words with elegant descriptions that make the book well worth reading. It is a book to read for entertainment. However, it may also be a pointer to provoke further reading around the subject of the concentration camps in the 2nd World War.
Ms Daiko has produced a second stylish novel, and I wish her every success.
Clare Leonard.
The apparition of the tiger is distracting; yet all they can think of when it is caught and killed is the meat and who will enjoy it. There are several graphic descriptions of the food in the camp, which is grisly and far from appetising. Nor is the apparition of the bedbugs, in chapter 9, appealing. Ms Daiko describes them with detachment but precision, so that the scene can be easily visualised.
Malaria strikes Kate’s mother and the author cleverly shifts the scene to Macau, also suffering tribulations in the form of severe cold and shortages of food. We meet another major character Sofia. Her governess, Natalia and her brother Leo, are also significant. Leo’s choice of Michiko as his bride is of note. Meanwhile, Charles and Kate grow closer, despite (or perhaps because of) the atrocities which occur in the camp. We are distracted from this by an introduction to the theme of collaboration (this time in Macau.
The canvas is vast. Where the author could have gone off on enormous tangents, instead, she pulls the plot together so that we focus on Kate, and Charles, and in addition she introduces Sofia and James, and Sofia’s family - the novel is a rich tapestry.
The whole makes for entertaining reading, and like Ms Daiko’s previous novel, “In Her Lady’s Shadow”, “The Orchid Tree” is more than a sketchy plot relying on trivial emotions. The author’s attention to detail is apparent and she writes with authentic feeling about a place that she knows. At the same time she introduces the levity of fiction, an authoritative descriptive power and constant movement so that her readers are always seeking to find out the next event. There are also examples of wonderful humour, such as when she describes “the zing” that goes through her heroine when she is kissing. While I could identify with the feeling, the description made me laugh! There are several examples of juxtaposing plain words with elegant descriptions that make the book well worth reading. It is a book to read for entertainment. However, it may also be a pointer to provoke further reading around the subject of the concentration camps in the 2nd World War.
Ms Daiko has produced a second stylish novel, and I wish her every success.
Clare Leonard.
February 14, 2015
The Orchid Tree is a historical drama set in Hong Kong. The First part is from 1941 - 1945 during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during WWII. Fifteen year old Kate Wolseley is British and lives with her parents on The Peak. When the Japanese invade and the governor surrenders no one can quite believe what happens.
Once the Japanese have taken over, Kate and her family are moved to the Stanley Internment Camp, an ex-prison. Conditions are poor and food soon runs very short. Kate makes friends with Charles Pearce a half Chinese boy as they queue each day for water and attend lessons together. The descriptions and imagery are very thought provoking as everyone waits to be rescued by either the British or the Americans.
Across the water in Macau we meet Sophia Rodrigues and her family who are from Portuguese descent. During the war, Macau was neutral, yet Japanese people still arrived in the area. Sophia's father is head of the Macau gold consortium and befriends the Japanese Kimura family. Sophia is half Chinese and is close to her Uncle who is involved with smuggling. During the war he smuggles medicines into the POW camps.
As the recapture of Hong Kong drew nearer, situations on both sides got very desperate, Charles is arrested one day when the prison guards learn of a radio that the prisoners are listening to. News comes that Charles was on a ship heading for a Japanese labour camp when the boat as torpedoed and everyone fears the worse.
A heart-broken Kate and her father go to Australia after the war, but both return to their home in Hong Kong later. Part two of the book covers the years 1948-1949. Hong Kong rebuilds itself and there are many opportunities to make money for enterprising individual's. The population is growing fast with the spread of communism in China and people fleeing the fighting. Sophia and Kate are both young ladies now and their lives and loves link them in more ways than one.
I enjoyed this book, it was a very good insight into the war years and how Hong Kong expanded in the post war years.
Once the Japanese have taken over, Kate and her family are moved to the Stanley Internment Camp, an ex-prison. Conditions are poor and food soon runs very short. Kate makes friends with Charles Pearce a half Chinese boy as they queue each day for water and attend lessons together. The descriptions and imagery are very thought provoking as everyone waits to be rescued by either the British or the Americans.
Across the water in Macau we meet Sophia Rodrigues and her family who are from Portuguese descent. During the war, Macau was neutral, yet Japanese people still arrived in the area. Sophia's father is head of the Macau gold consortium and befriends the Japanese Kimura family. Sophia is half Chinese and is close to her Uncle who is involved with smuggling. During the war he smuggles medicines into the POW camps.
As the recapture of Hong Kong drew nearer, situations on both sides got very desperate, Charles is arrested one day when the prison guards learn of a radio that the prisoners are listening to. News comes that Charles was on a ship heading for a Japanese labour camp when the boat as torpedoed and everyone fears the worse.
A heart-broken Kate and her father go to Australia after the war, but both return to their home in Hong Kong later. Part two of the book covers the years 1948-1949. Hong Kong rebuilds itself and there are many opportunities to make money for enterprising individual's. The population is growing fast with the spread of communism in China and people fleeing the fighting. Sophia and Kate are both young ladies now and their lives and loves link them in more ways than one.
I enjoyed this book, it was a very good insight into the war years and how Hong Kong expanded in the post war years.
March 1, 2015
This love story – or set of love stories - set in and around Hong Kong during and after WW2, begins with the drama of 15 year-old Kate Wolsey who loses the comfort and security of life in the colony when she is sent to a Japanese internment camp. The deprivations of life in the camp and the difficulties of adjusting become more bearable when she meets Charles Pearce, two years older than her and a Eurasian. She falls in love with him and in time he loves her back, but of course they are fated to part before long. The story also takes us to Macau where Sofia Rodrigues has a difficult relationship with her brother and where family members are engaged in a web of commercial and in some cases criminal activities adding elements of thriller to the underlying love story. When the war is over, Sofia and Kate both find themselves in Hong Kong where their stories become intertwined.
The strength of this book for me is the fascinating detail of the settings with which the author is clearly familiar so we are never in any doubt that this is what is was like to be in Hong Kong at that time and experience the melting pot of cultures and communities not to mention the exotic atmosphere of heat and humidity. We also get a great feel for the change which the war instigated with the old social and economic divisions being erased, particularly in the changing relationship between Kate and Jimmy, the son of her Chinese servant.
This is a complex and many-stranded novel told from several points of view but for me it is Kate (told in first person) who is at its emotional centre and I felt less of an affinity with Sofia and the machinations of her family even though she is clearly the kind of person on whom the future of Hong Kong will depend.
An entertaining read and one from which I learned a lot about this area of the world.
The strength of this book for me is the fascinating detail of the settings with which the author is clearly familiar so we are never in any doubt that this is what is was like to be in Hong Kong at that time and experience the melting pot of cultures and communities not to mention the exotic atmosphere of heat and humidity. We also get a great feel for the change which the war instigated with the old social and economic divisions being erased, particularly in the changing relationship between Kate and Jimmy, the son of her Chinese servant.
This is a complex and many-stranded novel told from several points of view but for me it is Kate (told in first person) who is at its emotional centre and I felt less of an affinity with Sofia and the machinations of her family even though she is clearly the kind of person on whom the future of Hong Kong will depend.
An entertaining read and one from which I learned a lot about this area of the world.
July 14, 2015
Talk about fates intertwined in this book. Loved reading this story about Kate, Sofia, Leo and James. Its a story revolving around a war and about love found, discovered, rekindled under a beautiful orchid tree.. Amazing read completely enjoyed. a must read.
February 25, 2015
I became familiar with Siobhan Daiko when I read her debut novel, In My Lady's Shadow, a time slip novel. I loved it and when her new book came out, I really wanted to read it as well.
The Orchid Tree is a beautiful and touching story of two girls who live privileged lives and who come of age during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in WW2. A good solid plot with some darker offshoots (no spoilers from me) as well as a host of different characters to support and antagonize Kate and Sofia, she has captured the colour and flavour of the East and shared it with us. I felt that I was actually in the story, the description was so vivid. I also learned some more facts on the War that I must sadly admit that were not taught in high school History. But all was not dark - two very sensual and beautiful love stories. A smooth and very enjoyable read that drew you along, not wanting to stop reading for one moment. Thank you for the history and colour that is Hong Kong. Looking forward to many more books from you.
The Orchid Tree is a beautiful and touching story of two girls who live privileged lives and who come of age during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in WW2. A good solid plot with some darker offshoots (no spoilers from me) as well as a host of different characters to support and antagonize Kate and Sofia, she has captured the colour and flavour of the East and shared it with us. I felt that I was actually in the story, the description was so vivid. I also learned some more facts on the War that I must sadly admit that were not taught in high school History. But all was not dark - two very sensual and beautiful love stories. A smooth and very enjoyable read that drew you along, not wanting to stop reading for one moment. Thank you for the history and colour that is Hong Kong. Looking forward to many more books from you.
February 12, 2015
A wonderful sweeping historical romance, Siobhan Daiko has the insider's eye on the detail and atmosphere of Hong Kong, and the Orchid Tree really brings the place alive to the reader. It is a wonderfully fast-paced and readable book. It manages to combine two intertwined love stories, the horrors of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong and the internment of the ex-pats, along with sub-plots involving smuggling, triads and Special Branch. It delivers serious messages though, about entrenched and racist attitudes in the ex-pat community, the impact of war on individuals, and the influence of communist China on post-war Hong Kong. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to be transported to a different place and time and wants a thoroughly absorbing read.
February 15, 2015
This is a fantastic story, so evocative of both time and place. The story never loses its pace and the writer is skilled at pulling you into the action, so that you are with the characters every step of the way and feel like you are experiencing the events right there with them. I've never been to Hong Kong or the 1940s, but now I really feel like I have! I can't recommend it enough.
June 29, 2024
This is a book which covers a period in history which changed the lives of those who experienced it dramatically and the author captures this with great skill.
In the first part of the book we follow young men and women, still in their teens who are forced to grow up too fast when faced with fear, deprivation and loss. Their lives as they have known it will be changed forever following the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong.
Whilst some face internment living in crowded rooms where disease is rife and food scarce, others living within the relative safety of favoured families still live under the restrictions of the invaders but also their culturally rigid families.
Despite the circumstances, love blossoms between two young internees but with the growing underground activities within the camp, their romance is threatened. With each setback, these young people from the different backgrounds develop a resilience and a growing desire to break through cultural barriers.
In the second part of the book after the end of the war and still grieving for those she has lost, Kate returns after living in Australia for three years. Some things in the colony have returned to normal but there is unease over changes in neighbouring China and growing resistence and crime by some high powered individuals.
We also catch up with Sofia who has become a determined young woman desperate to shake off the rigid control of her half-brother and whose activities with her uncle bring her into the life of a young English customs officer.
This is a story which is character driven but the author also brings the colony of Hong Kong, its scenery, cultures and history vividly to life. The love stories emphasise the cultural differences but also how barriers can be crossed when that love is powerful.
I recommend this story of resilience, hope and romance and look forward to reading the next book in the Hong Kong saga.
In the first part of the book we follow young men and women, still in their teens who are forced to grow up too fast when faced with fear, deprivation and loss. Their lives as they have known it will be changed forever following the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong.
Whilst some face internment living in crowded rooms where disease is rife and food scarce, others living within the relative safety of favoured families still live under the restrictions of the invaders but also their culturally rigid families.
Despite the circumstances, love blossoms between two young internees but with the growing underground activities within the camp, their romance is threatened. With each setback, these young people from the different backgrounds develop a resilience and a growing desire to break through cultural barriers.
In the second part of the book after the end of the war and still grieving for those she has lost, Kate returns after living in Australia for three years. Some things in the colony have returned to normal but there is unease over changes in neighbouring China and growing resistence and crime by some high powered individuals.
We also catch up with Sofia who has become a determined young woman desperate to shake off the rigid control of her half-brother and whose activities with her uncle bring her into the life of a young English customs officer.
This is a story which is character driven but the author also brings the colony of Hong Kong, its scenery, cultures and history vividly to life. The love stories emphasise the cultural differences but also how barriers can be crossed when that love is powerful.
I recommend this story of resilience, hope and romance and look forward to reading the next book in the Hong Kong saga.
February 18, 2023
The Orchid Tree is a dramatic and moving account of wartime events in Hong Kong and the repercussions in 1949 for the three main characters, Kate, a British teenager, Charles, a young Eurasian and Sofia, whose home is on the neutral island of Macau.
Kate Wolseley tells us of her privileged life living on the Peak, in her own words. Almost 16 when the Japanese bombs fall on the city, her days of horse riding, going to the yacht club and spending time with the son of their amah are changed to the hardship of Stanley Internment camp, where the family try to survive in one room, with very little food. There she meets Charles Pearce, sharing the sadness and difficulties, as they fall in love.
Meanwhile in Macau, there is a semblance of normality despite the many Japanese soldiers, but Sofia Rodrigues, beloved daughter of the head of the successful Macau Consortium, has to bear the unpleasantness of her stepmother and her arrogant half-brother, because her mother was a Chinese concubine. Seeking the company of Her Chinese uncle and her Russian governess she is growing up as a courageous, independent young woman.
When Kate reluctantly returns to Hong Kong, she is determined to help those who are less fortunate and she no longer expects happiness herself. Lieutenant James Stevens, who has come to Hong Kong in search of a successful future hopes that Kate will become fond of him but she is evasive and uncommitting. In dramatic circumstances, he encounters Sofia and suddenly his life takes another turn.
Knowing Hong Kong, I was impressed with the accuracy of the historical detail and the feel of the surroundings in this novel. The complex strands of the plot work well and there are surprises to confound the reader. A delightful mix of adventure, romance and tragic modern history.
Kate Wolseley tells us of her privileged life living on the Peak, in her own words. Almost 16 when the Japanese bombs fall on the city, her days of horse riding, going to the yacht club and spending time with the son of their amah are changed to the hardship of Stanley Internment camp, where the family try to survive in one room, with very little food. There she meets Charles Pearce, sharing the sadness and difficulties, as they fall in love.
Meanwhile in Macau, there is a semblance of normality despite the many Japanese soldiers, but Sofia Rodrigues, beloved daughter of the head of the successful Macau Consortium, has to bear the unpleasantness of her stepmother and her arrogant half-brother, because her mother was a Chinese concubine. Seeking the company of Her Chinese uncle and her Russian governess she is growing up as a courageous, independent young woman.
When Kate reluctantly returns to Hong Kong, she is determined to help those who are less fortunate and she no longer expects happiness herself. Lieutenant James Stevens, who has come to Hong Kong in search of a successful future hopes that Kate will become fond of him but she is evasive and uncommitting. In dramatic circumstances, he encounters Sofia and suddenly his life takes another turn.
Knowing Hong Kong, I was impressed with the accuracy of the historical detail and the feel of the surroundings in this novel. The complex strands of the plot work well and there are surprises to confound the reader. A delightful mix of adventure, romance and tragic modern history.
July 8, 2017
The Orchid Tree is a dramatic and moving account of wartime events in Hong Kong and the repercussions in 1949 for the three main characters, Kate, a British teenager, Charles, a young Eurasian and Sofia, whose home is on the neutral island of Macau.
Kate Wolseley tells us of her privileged life living on the Peak, in her own words. Almost 16 when the Japanese bombs fall on the city, her days of horse riding, going to the yacht club and spending time with the son of their amah are changed to the hardship of Stanley Internment camp, where the family try to survive in one room, with very little food. There she meets Charles Pearce, sharing the sadness and difficulties, as they fall in love.
Meanwhile in Macau, there is a semblance of normality despite the many Japanese soldiers, but Sofia Rodrigues, beloved daughter of the head of the successful Macau Consortium, has to bear the unpleasantness of her stepmother and her arrogant half-brother, because her mother was a Chinese concubine. Seeking the company of Her Chinese uncle and her Russian governess she is growing up as a courageous, independent young woman.
When Kate reluctantly returns to Hong Kong, she is determined to help those who are less fortunate and she no longer expects happiness herself. Lieutenant James Stevens, who has come to Hong Kong in search of a successful future hopes that Kate will become fond of him but she is evasive and uncommitting. In dramatic circumstances, he encounters Sofia and suddenly his life takes another turn.
Knowing Hong Kong, I was impressed with the accuracy of the historical detail and the feel of the surroundings in this novel. The complex strands of the plot work well and there are surprises to confound the reader. A delightful mix of adventure, romance and tragic modern history.
Kate Wolseley tells us of her privileged life living on the Peak, in her own words. Almost 16 when the Japanese bombs fall on the city, her days of horse riding, going to the yacht club and spending time with the son of their amah are changed to the hardship of Stanley Internment camp, where the family try to survive in one room, with very little food. There she meets Charles Pearce, sharing the sadness and difficulties, as they fall in love.
Meanwhile in Macau, there is a semblance of normality despite the many Japanese soldiers, but Sofia Rodrigues, beloved daughter of the head of the successful Macau Consortium, has to bear the unpleasantness of her stepmother and her arrogant half-brother, because her mother was a Chinese concubine. Seeking the company of Her Chinese uncle and her Russian governess she is growing up as a courageous, independent young woman.
When Kate reluctantly returns to Hong Kong, she is determined to help those who are less fortunate and she no longer expects happiness herself. Lieutenant James Stevens, who has come to Hong Kong in search of a successful future hopes that Kate will become fond of him but she is evasive and uncommitting. In dramatic circumstances, he encounters Sofia and suddenly his life takes another turn.
Knowing Hong Kong, I was impressed with the accuracy of the historical detail and the feel of the surroundings in this novel. The complex strands of the plot work well and there are surprises to confound the reader. A delightful mix of adventure, romance and tragic modern history.
February 10, 2017
I really wanted to like this book and I'm not sure whether it was the characters or the writing style that I didn't enjoy. Set in Hong Kong during and after WWII, the book focuses on the romance of two couples: Kate and Charles meet while interred at Stanley; Sofia and James meet after the war. Kate and Charles are separated for years after the war (partly because of the prejudice of her father) but re-united when they both return to HK. Sofia and James meet through his work as a Customs Officer trying to chart the waters of Macau.
July 28, 2015
This is a beautifully written love story set against the second world war in Hong Kong and after. It is not a straight forward love story and follows two couples from very different backgrounds who have to overcome many obstacles such as, the war, their differing backgrounds and family objections. It is a love story that triumphs over tragedy and racial bigotry.
Kate Worsley was 15 years old when war came to Hong Kong. Interned with her parents in a Japanese prisoner of war camp Kate meets Charles a half Chinese boy also interned with his family.
Sofia is half Portuguese half Chinese who lives in Macau which is neutral territory during the war. Her father is a wealthy gold dealer. James is a poor boy from England who fought during the war and came to Hong Kong after the war to make his fortune.
Siobhan Daiko has a way with words and beautifully describes each situation with great detail and makes you almost believe you are there with the characters in the book.
I highly recommend this book, not only will you learn about how people survived during the war in Hong Kong but you will also learn about the prejudices people experienced. It is a rich tableau of life during and after the war and well worth the read.
Kate Worsley was 15 years old when war came to Hong Kong. Interned with her parents in a Japanese prisoner of war camp Kate meets Charles a half Chinese boy also interned with his family.
Sofia is half Portuguese half Chinese who lives in Macau which is neutral territory during the war. Her father is a wealthy gold dealer. James is a poor boy from England who fought during the war and came to Hong Kong after the war to make his fortune.
Siobhan Daiko has a way with words and beautifully describes each situation with great detail and makes you almost believe you are there with the characters in the book.
I highly recommend this book, not only will you learn about how people survived during the war in Hong Kong but you will also learn about the prejudices people experienced. It is a rich tableau of life during and after the war and well worth the read.
March 11, 2016
What a truly beautiful story, telling the coming of age of a 15 year old girl in Hong Kong during and after World War 2. It shows innocence and humanity in volatile times, class and race perceptions, family life, politics, the brutality of war and romance.
I've been to Hong Kong several times and have a deep love for it. The author also has first hand knowledge of the place and did a wonderful job at setting the scene and reminding me of all its beauty.
World War 2 was such a complex war with many theatres and players. Reading about the Japanese invasion and occupation of Hong Kong was historically particularly fascinating for me, as was the part about the period following WW2.
Daiko chose a great character to tell her story: Kate, a girl coming of age and falling in love. This unique perspective allows us to see the madness of the grown up world as an outsider and as participant. Great side-characters flesh out the story and add to the richness of the novel.
Moving, insightful and highly recommended.
I've been to Hong Kong several times and have a deep love for it. The author also has first hand knowledge of the place and did a wonderful job at setting the scene and reminding me of all its beauty.
World War 2 was such a complex war with many theatres and players. Reading about the Japanese invasion and occupation of Hong Kong was historically particularly fascinating for me, as was the part about the period following WW2.
Daiko chose a great character to tell her story: Kate, a girl coming of age and falling in love. This unique perspective allows us to see the madness of the grown up world as an outsider and as participant. Great side-characters flesh out the story and add to the richness of the novel.
Moving, insightful and highly recommended.
March 23, 2015
The Orchid Tree is an incredible story with WW2 Hong Kong as the backdrop. It tells the history of the Japanese takeover of Hong Kong and the interment of expatriates who prior to that time lived in the upper echelons of society. This engrossing tale follows two young women. Kate a privileged expat is thrown into a brutal camp, and Sofia, a Portugese girl considered to be lower class is not. But Sofia must suffer with ther relatives and their activities. This poignant story follows these young women and shows how lives were totally destroyed by war. This is a book everyone should read to get a true picture of the effects of war. Kudos to Siobhan Daiko for this beautifully written masterpiece.
March 28, 2015
Daiko's writing is exceptional; it is unpretentious, accessible and flows so beautifully that, after reading the sample passage, I had to continue to the end in just a couple of sittings. The author's craft is fantastic, faultless really, and this allowed me to focus on the story, which I found very original and cleverly molded from Daiko's interesting background and diligent research. I felt I could smell the Hong Kong of her novel and was pleased to see mention of little details such as wooden elephants from Colombo, where I live. The characters are convincing, three-dimensional and well developed. All in all, a beautiful read.
August 25, 2015
A lovely historical fiction based in one of favorite historical time periods - 1940's wartime Hong Kong. Hearing these stories, I can feel the fragility of life in this outpost no matter where one originated. Further it adds colour to the post colonial existence as citizens of the now HK SAR. There is an element of romance to the novel - which does sometimes become front and centre - but it then weaves back into the storyline and enhances the twist and turns. I am all set for a sequel. More please!
November 20, 2021
interesting novel set in WWII and it’s aftermath in Hong Kong and Macau
While the story was a bit confusing in parts, the descriptions of the prison camp were vivid. How people suffered during Japanese occupation, no matter what their nationality. A bit of intrigue a bit of a love story, it was interesting to read how Hong Kong rebuilt after the war while China was divided between the communists and nationalists. This novel was a good read, but I do think the author’s other 2 novels are stronger, “The Girl From Venice” and “Lady Venezia”.
While the story was a bit confusing in parts, the descriptions of the prison camp were vivid. How people suffered during Japanese occupation, no matter what their nationality. A bit of intrigue a bit of a love story, it was interesting to read how Hong Kong rebuilt after the war while China was divided between the communists and nationalists. This novel was a good read, but I do think the author’s other 2 novels are stronger, “The Girl From Venice” and “Lady Venezia”.
April 14, 2021
Learned a lot!
I very much enjoyed learning about Hong Kong! I did not understand or enjoy political details and talk of the Nationalists and communists. That is because I am not a politically minded person. I do understand that those things needed to be included to make the story work. I was hoping James and Kate would end up together, so I was disappointed that he married Sofia. I did not care much for her. Thanks for sharing your talent with us! I enjoyed it!
I very much enjoyed learning about Hong Kong! I did not understand or enjoy political details and talk of the Nationalists and communists. That is because I am not a politically minded person. I do understand that those things needed to be included to make the story work. I was hoping James and Kate would end up together, so I was disappointed that he married Sofia. I did not care much for her. Thanks for sharing your talent with us! I enjoyed it!
April 15, 2021
I didn't know
I've read many WWII stories. I had no idea about the involvement Japan had in Hong Kong. Really didn't know that people were forced out of their homes and put into encampments with poor living conditions there. A very complete account of that time period. Loved the romance plots and found the smuggling plot fun to read also. Good book, but FYI: take down names and make notes, minor characters in the first part become major characters in the second part.
I've read many WWII stories. I had no idea about the involvement Japan had in Hong Kong. Really didn't know that people were forced out of their homes and put into encampments with poor living conditions there. A very complete account of that time period. Loved the romance plots and found the smuggling plot fun to read also. Good book, but FYI: take down names and make notes, minor characters in the first part become major characters in the second part.
December 21, 2015
I received a copy through the Goodreads First Reads program.
I started reading this story when I barely had any free time to spare, but when I was free, The Orchid Tree was in my hands. As the rush in my schedule died down, all I did was read. I practically absorbed this story! I was very intrigued, and I highly recommend it.
I started reading this story when I barely had any free time to spare, but when I was free, The Orchid Tree was in my hands. As the rush in my schedule died down, all I did was read. I practically absorbed this story! I was very intrigued, and I highly recommend it.
March 27, 2021
Memories
This novel brings back so many memories of my time in Hong Kong as the wife of a soldier based on the new territories in the mid 70s. So accurate in place names etc. We revisited in 2019 , a totally changed city. We def had the best of times.thank you for bringing it all back to me
This novel brings back so many memories of my time in Hong Kong as the wife of a soldier based on the new territories in the mid 70s. So accurate in place names etc. We revisited in 2019 , a totally changed city. We def had the best of times.thank you for bringing it all back to me
November 12, 2021
Powerful storytelling, Ms Daiko truly paints a picture with her words and allows you to see the locations/surroundings and feel her character’s emotions. Set in Hong Kong during the second world war, I was enthralled with the history, gripped with the plight of the characters' situations and immersed with the love story.
October 31, 2021
great historical fiction
This is an historical, fact filled romance story that follows two young girls during and after WW II based in Hong Kong and Macau. Through many difficult times, both young women find a way to survive and build a life for themselves. Very moving and well written. So glad I found this author!
This is an historical, fact filled romance story that follows two young girls during and after WW II based in Hong Kong and Macau. Through many difficult times, both young women find a way to survive and build a life for themselves. Very moving and well written. So glad I found this author!
May 25, 2015
Maybe the publisher got 9 people to give good reviews of this book. I thought it was awful. Couldn't get past the second chapter. Maybe it should be classified as YA.
Want to read
August 9, 2015Free on kindle
August 22, 2015
I enjoyed the book and learning more about the Japanese POW camp during WWII. I kept confusing Sofia and Kate in the book though. Pay attention to more detail in the beginning would be my advice.
August 31, 2015
Great read.
September 24, 2015
Should have been listed as YA. Kind of slow. Not much on the war.
September 9, 2015
I thought this book should be classified as YA - the writing and descriptions are quaint and old fashioned. A light read. I was disappointed.
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