'A gripping, exquisitely plotted novel. I could not put it down!' Alice Winn, author of Sunday Times bestseller In Memoriam

'A striking, moving exploration of good and evil, it is a novel that will stay with you.' Cecile Pin
THE RADIO 2 ZOE BALL BOOK CLUB PICK
AS FEATURED ON BBC RADIO 4 WOMAN'S HOUR

Her decision changed history.
Now her family must survive it.

British Malaya, 1930s
Discontented housewife Cecily is seduced by Japanese general Fujiwara and the glorious future he is promising for 'independent' Malaya, free from British colonialism. As she becomes further embedded as his own personal spy, she unwittingly alters the fate of her country by welcoming in a punishing form of dictatorship under the Japanese in WWII.

Japanese-occupied Malaya, 1945
Cecily and her family are barely surviving. Her children, Jujube, Abel and Jasmin, are surrounded by threat, and look to their mother to keep them safe. But she can't tell them about the part she played in the war - and she doesn't know how to protect them.
Can Cecily face up to her past to save her children? Or is it already too late... ?

'I'll never forget this book' JESSAMINE CHAN
'One of the most powerful debuts I've ever read. A storytelling star is born' TRACY CHEVALIER
'A striking, moving exploration of good and evil, it is a novel that will stay with you' CECILE PIN
'Exceptionally brave, heart-breaking, beautiful, and moving. A significant contribution to world's literature' NGUYEN PHAN QUE MAI

"A chilling exploration of the costs of human weakness and desire, in a compelling and vividly wrought historical context" - Kirkus

"Dynamic . . . Chan convincingly portrays a family caught in the horrors of war" - Publishers Weekly

"A cinematic historical fiction crafted with care from her grandparent's experiences . . . The kind of immersive fiction that teaches you more than any history lesson could" - The Bookseller

"Absolutely brilliant" - Radio 4 Woman’s Hour

"Exceptionally compelling" - Sunday Times

"Unforgettable . . . Everything you want from historical fiction" - Good Housekeeping

"Will keep you gripped" - Woman & Home