“David Wong’s new novel begins on an intimate scale, exploring the lives of a well- to-do family living in Hong Kong just before the ending of colonial rule. He charts their guilts, desires, ambitions and memories, showing in compelling detail how they lived together and apart. Through the recollections and thoughts of the novel’s principal character, Suen, the story moves from an intimate scale to encompass social and historical themes: the history of Hong Kong in the twentieth century, the destructive effects of financial greed, the problems and opportunities of living with different and opposing cultural values.
The novel ranges widely in both time and space, moving from Hong Kong to London, Oxford and Paris. It engages with some of the central dilemmas of modern life, but is also full of vivid characterisation and narrative surprises. It is written in the detailed and elegant style that has become a hallmark of David Wong’s stories.”
Jon Cook, Professor of Literature, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom.
