(Subdue) The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng – 4 Stars

[Hannah]

Following her retirement as a judge on the Malaysian Supreme Court in the 1980s, Yun Ling Teoh moves back to her plantation in the jungle of Northern Malaya. With the onset of an illness which has begun to cause dementia, she starts to write her memoirs, beginning in Post-war Malaysia following Japanese occupation. Through her writing, we learn that she herself was a prisoner in a Japanese camp, and that the garden she is creating on her plantation is to honour the memory of her sister who did not survive the camp. This was a beautifully written book, and the setting was one that I knew nothing about. The novel contained many interesting cultural and historical bits of information, and I felt that the characters were realistic. I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as The Gift of Rain, but I am looking forward to reading this author’s new book.

[Joy D]

Nice review, Hannah. I am looking forward to Tan's new book, too! I loved both this one and The Gift of Rain.