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The Storm We Made

Vanessa Chan

Start date: May 1, 2024

Finish date: May 31, 2024

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Nov-Dec 2025: My Name Is Emilia del Valle
By Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴… , Founding Retro Chick · 1 post · 6 views

last updated Oct 29, 2025 02:06PM

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What Members Thought

May 17, 2024 Maureen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a wonderful debut book. It centers on the Alcantra family living in Malaya under British Colonialism until the Japanese occupation.
The story is told in two time lines: 1930’s and 1945.
Cecily and Gordon are married and have three children. Cecily becomes involved with a man who is not who he seems to be. He encourages Cecily to give him information about her husband‘s employer, and the meetings that he attends. All for “Asia for Asians” so he told her. Before she knows it, Cecily realizes ...more

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Apr 06, 2024 Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Schu rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

"Cecily wondered at the damage that would do to one's soul, to allow others to chip away at you, past the layers of defense, to gain acceptance."

"You cannot survive this and live a dead life."

Malaya is a country with a rich history as a notable geographic location for trade. Its colonial era began in the 16th century with the Portuguese, later the Dutch, and finally the British Empire. The British restructured the government with the aid of some state dignitaries. Post World War I, Malaya saw an "Cecily wondered at the damage that would do to one's soul, to allow others to chip away at you, past the layers of defense, to gain acceptance."

"You cannot survive this and live a dead life."

Malaya is a country with a rich history as a notable geographic location for trade. Its colonial era began in the 16th century with the Portuguese, later the Dutch, and finally the British Empire. The British restructured the government with the aid of some state dignitaries. Post World War I, Malaya saw an increase in education, which led to fights for a Malayan government. The educated people created Associations (Associations such as the Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM) and Kesatuan Melayu Singapura (KMS)) to drive out the colonial powers. Then Malaya was conquered by the Japanese in 1941 until the end of the Second World War. Malaysia finally received independence with the London Accord in 1957.

Vanessa Chan's book, The Storm We Made, focuses on the period of British and Japanese colonialism. Chan's story revolves around Cecily Alcantara, who blames herself for her family's livelihood. Alcantra's story begins a decade before Japan's occupation, where she is drawn into a life of espionage, seeking an "Asia for Asia." Unfortunately, the efforts to create an "Asia for Asia" helped pull in the brutal occupation of the Japanese. The author does not hold back in describing the Japanese barbarism. The descriptions are raw and gritty, and not only include the gore but also the smells encountered. The details of the comfort stations, childbirth, and the internment camps were an uncomfortable read and aptly described the pains experienced by the Malayan people during the war. Cecily's children are victims of the war, as were so many other Malayan children. Cecily hid her youngest daughter in their basement and crudely cut her hair so she would pass as a boy to avoid rape. Her son, Abel, was encamped in an internment camp with other boys and men, which was described in savage terms (think Lord of the Flies). I felt so much of the pain and misery experienced by all the characters, from the mental turmoil to the physical violence. The Storm We Made is a beautifully written story. It's not for the faint of heart, but I learned so much about Malaya and would appreciate it if the author wrote more about the country during its earlier history. ...more

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Nov 26, 2024 Book Concierge rated it really liked it

Shelves: library, concierge, strong-women, audio, book-club, historical-fiction, world-war-ii, malaysia

Digital audiobook read by Samantha Tan
3.5*** (rounded up)

A Malayan mother falls into a role as a spy under the spell of Japanese General Fujiwara. Cecily is unhappy with the British colonization and is lured by Fujiwara’s promises of an “Asia for Asians.” But, of course, the occupying forces of Japan during WW2, are not what she had in mind. Now in 1945, her family is in danger. Her fifteen-year-old son, Abel, has disappeared. Her youngest daughter, Jasmin, hides in the basement to avoid being f ...more

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May 18, 2024 Sarah Brown rated it really liked it

As difficult as the content was to read, I still really liked the entire book. I learned a lot about an area I am not all too familiar with. I wish there had been an author's note at end, I always enjoy those, not sure if the audio was missing it or if there wasn't one. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review