How We Disappeared: LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2020

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Lee, an accomplished poet, has dedicated her narrative to “the grandmas (halmonies, Lolas and amas) who told their stories, so that I could tell this one”. So it is fitting that it begins with an elderly woman’s early morning musings about the circumstances of her birth, her too-short child­hood and the significance of her name, Wang Di, which means “to hope for a brother”. Before rising to the quotidian chores of her solitary existence in the year 2000, in her new Red Hill studio flat – the closest offered by the Singaporean housing board to the apartment she and her husband had shared for 40 years – she wonders how different her life would have been had she gone to live with her aunt. Or had she been approached by a matchmaker at another time and war hadn’t torn through the island. A beautifully controlled novel that tells an utterly compelling and important story. Jing-Jing Lee's prose is crystal clear, the narrative scope is sweeping and devastating, and the story is as deeply felt and well observed as it is captivating."-- Caoilinn Hughes, author of Orchid & the Wasp Jing-Jing Lee has woven a net of stories about a family that experiences hardship, loss and trauma due to the occupation of Singapore 1942-45. One main focus lies on Wang Di who is abducted from her parents and forced to work as a prostitute serving Japanese soldiers; another main thread is set in the 21st century and introduces us to Kevin who tries to uncover the secrets of his grandmother - the story is propelled forward by the question how the stories of Wang Di and Kevin might be connected, and while trying to figure that out, we are jumping between timelines and meeting their parents and other family members, thus hearing about various destinies marked by historical events while they where happening and long afterwards. A heartbreaking story told with such humanity and grace. The details of How We Disappeared are so vivid they return to me in dreams."-- Marti Leimbach, bestselling author of Daniel Isn't Talking

If you do nothing, you will be auto-enrolled in our premium digital monthly subscription plan and retain complete access for 65 € per month. These are the two major characters of this novel and they are connected. Kevin tries to solve the puzzle that his grandmother has left him with unintentionally in the present. While Wang Di spends most of her time in the early years of World War 2.Solo quando sono tornato a casa, ho sentito nel petto tutto il peso delle sue parole. L’unica soluzione che ho trovato per liberarmene è stata quella di mettere tutto per iscritto. È stato così che ho passato le settimane successive: di giorno la intervistavo e poi riscrivevo tutto con parole mie, cercando di raccontare la sua storia meglio che potevo. Ho scritto il primo capitolo, intitolato “Wang Di – 1941”, quasi senza pensarci, ma poi, rileggendolo, mi è sembrato che funzionasse. Così ho iniziato allo stesso modo tutti i capitoli. Con il suo nome, perché quelle storie appartenevano a lei, e poi l’anno in cui erano successe.” These two stories are recorded and written down by Kevin, who wants to discover the long lost story of his late grandmother. It’s this and the intertwining of the two histories that builds the picture of the novel as a whole. The dual time line of Wand Di’s narrative is a story of her past, one that she was not been able to tell even her husband of many years before he dies and her present day struggling to deal with not having told him and wanting to know the secrets of his past as well. A second narrative in the present day is that of twelve year old Kevin who is visually impaired, bullied and trying to follow through with a promise to his grandmother on her deathbed. This was perhaps a little slow at times, but overall it was compelling as I waited to see how Kevin and Wand Di’s paths would cross. Heartbreaking in many ways, but a satisfying ending of to important story.

Sherwood, Harriet (18 April 2022). "The God of Small Things to Shuggie Bain: the Queen's jubilee book list". The Guardian . Retrieved 7 May 2022. This novel set in Singapore grapples with a history that many in the city-state would rather leave forgotten. The story is told from alternating points of view, that of an elderly woman, Wang Di, facing the imminent death of her beloved husband; the teenage Wang Di and her family, struggling to survive the Japanese occupation during World War II; and Kevin, a precocious 12-year-old schoolboy facing bullying in the 21st century. Wang Di's narrative as a young woman is the most compelling, as the reader learns that the Japanese military kidnapped her as a teenager to work as a "comfort woman" providing sex for Japanese soldiers. Not only did Wang Di face the threat of death should she not comply while enslaved by the Japanese military, but she faced censure from the rest of society after the war ended. These themes of silencing a tragic history run through Kevin's chapters as well, as the intrepid boy seeks to uncover his grandmother's secrets. However, Kevin's chapters do not match Wang Di's in power, and the constant shifting of perspective can be distracting. The novel has many graphic scenes of violence and rape, but they are never gratuitous. Ultimately, debut novelist Lee creates a compelling story of generations haunted by war and the silence surrounding their suffering. I’d highly recommend this book but do take your time with it, as I said previously, this book is not easy. It’s not light, it’s heavy but it’s important for us to know this story.This story is based on real-life women who were taken from their families during WWII and forced to be “comfort women” for Japanese soldiers. These women were forced into sexual slavery and endured starvation, deplorable conditions, diseases passed onto them from soldiers, and endless abuse. If they survived and were able to return to their families, they were viewed as traitors and shamed for their enslavement.

Fisk, Alan (August 2019). "How We Disappeared: An Interview with Jing-Jing Lee". Historical Novels Review . Retrieved 7 May 2022. Overall, while I had some issues with this book, it is an evocative read about survival, female endurance and the long road to healing. It is difficult to tell what was more painful to Wang Di. Was it the sufferings she had to face in the military camp or the words said by her mother and her family? It is true that some words told by our loved ones and the emotional pain caused by it will be more painful than any physical pain. She thought she was doing it for her family, while the family considered her a disgrace because of the same reason.In the year 2000, twelve-year-old Kevin is sitting beside his ailing grandmother when he overhears a mumbled confession. He sets out to discover the truth, wherever it might lead, setting in motion a chain of events he never could have foreseen. Most people are unaware of the occupation’s death toll. The conservative estimate lies around 40,000 (not a small number as the total population was around 800,000 in 1942). The dead were mostly made up of Chinese men who were executed during the Sook Ching (or ‘purge,’ a targeted ethnic cleansing). A historical novel about "comfort women" in Singapore restores the dignity of the survivors and criticizes the misogyny that marked their lives. In 1942 Wang Di is seized by the Japanese and forced to be a “comfort woman” for the duration of the war. Then there’s the story of her husband. They have both suffered in different ways but find it hard to talk about it. He’s affectionately known as ‘Old One’, and Wang Di needs to know what he experienced during the war. She’s never admitted to him what happened to her – the shame is too great. And that’s what got me. despite everything this poor woman has endured, she’s the one to feel shame.

The years of torture begins to weigh too heavily....often leading to feelings of unworthiness. That’s were the shame comes in: HEARTBREAKING!!! The writing is beautiful, and the story so poignant, I was completely invested and compelled to keep reading. I also absorbed the Singaporean culture from the time, as it was fascinating. Overall, this is another perspective on the atrocities of World War II, and a story that was important to share so that we never, ever forget. How We Disappeared was shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize, and longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction and the HWA Debut Crown (a prize for historical writing). [6] [7]Storia della nostra scomparsa’ non è solo un romanzo di narrativa. È una parte importante della nostra storia contemporanea che spesso viene lasciata ai margini e non raccontata. Invece tutti dovremmo conoscerla. Hannah’s new novel is an homage to the extraordinary courage and endurance of Frenchwomen during World War II. In a nearby village, Wang Di is captured and sent to a Japanese military brothel where she is a “comfort woman.” Se penso a questi atti orribili sì, mi viene da piangere, mi manca il fiato e sto male. Ma finché leggevo non ero così rapita come mi aspettavo. Ripeto, mi mancava qualcosa. Era un’adolescente quando fu strappata alla sua famiglia per diventare una “comfort woman”, una delle tante donne che soddisfacevano i bisogni dei militari giapponesi.