A Tree To Take Us Up To Heaven

by Jordan Melic

Genres: Fiction

356 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2020

Reviews

[Lynette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This debut novel is a mixture of social commentary, history and magical realism. Having spent almost three decades living in Singapore, I found it both fascinating and familiar in the references to the culture of colonialism and its impact on those who found themselves as unwitting/unwilling servants to their colonial masters. I was impressed by the quality of the writing, the extent to which I became engaged in the storyline and the unique portrayal of the imagined and the real. It would be a good choice for a book group as it would engender a lot of discussion.

[Melissa Lim · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a singaporean, reading this book evoked memories of history class and also inspired me to wonder abit more about how our little island got to where it is now.

I really enjoyed how the conflicting thoughts and emotions of the main characters were conveyed, the simple innocence, sadness, anger, helplessness. The injection of fantasy also made it extra enjoyable.

I’m so thankful the author researched and wrote this book about our tiny island, set in a time in history that many would ignore. We need more books like this in Singapore ❤️

[Kes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly this is a 1.5 star book in terms of personal enjoyment but I added stars cos Singlit.

I can see it’s literary - it follows a brother & sister as they move from a kingdom to a port/kampong/trading area to a city. There is magical realism. The parts about colonialism / teaching of Ah Boy was poignant. (Basically, the third and final section was worthwhile.)

But honestly I found myself wondering what point of the book was and where it was headed, especially throughout the first part. It was hard to care for the characters.

[Rye · Rating 4 out of 5]

i have been living in Singapore for more than a decade now, but this is the very 1st book i read from SG literature. It is a fascinating combination of social realism and fantasy driven story-telling. It will piqued your curiosity to learn the myths/folklore of how Singapore came to be. A well depicted scenario of how urbanization affects the once nature-cultured people. A very good read indeed.

[Misa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Singapore told through myth, folklore and colonial history, so fluid and fun to follow - singlehandedly reignited my love for reading!