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

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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.

This beautiful heart-breaking debut is multi-narrated around two timelines and centers around Japan’s atrocities during their occupation of Singapore during WWll, and modern day when a 12yr old learns of his grandmother’s hidden secret. Wang Di is definitely a sympathetic character, and her story is tragic and harrowing-- more so, because it reflects a very dark time in history, and the stories of very real women in China, Singapore, and Korea during World War II. Her story is broken down into two parts: we see her narrating her story in the 1940s in the first person, as well as a very old women in the present day in the more removed third person. I actually found this really interesting; Wang Di was haunted by her traumatic abuse during the war, and I couldn't help but feel that she was given first person for these segments to show how immediate and personal these memories were, whereas as an old woman, Wang Di felt far more removed from her circumstances, as nothing could really rival what she experienced in the war.

Hi Readers! I am writing this review from the cozy bed in a resort at Lonavala. I have 4 days off, so I am away on a staycation! There is a lot of relaxing time to read, write & sleep. Unfortunately, like majority of the resorts, this one has dim light in the rooms, in which I just cannot get any reading done. So, here I am pondering over my thoughts on the last book I read. Hope you enjoy the review as much as I struggled to find the perfect words for it! ~~WRITING STYLE~~

Hannah’s new novel is an homage to the extraordinary courage and endurance of Frenchwomen during World War II. It was OK, but not great. Two timelines, past and present. Singapore occupied by Japan, girl taken to military brothel, abandoned baby and an old lady now on her death bed telling her secrets to her grandson. And then, after the horror during what was supposed to be her best years, how her mother's words, the shame foisted on her by herself, her family, and everyone around her, had dictated the silence that shadowed her every move after the war." Although it is difficult to read about such pain and suffering, it is important to remember the stories of these women who have been all but forgotten. I didn’t expect myself to get through this story because I am so affected by real-life violence, but I found myself engrossed in Wang-Di’s story and rooting for her to find peace and solace. For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the “Settings & Account” section. If you’d like to retain your premium access and save 20%, you can opt to pay annually at the end of the trial.Thankfully, the author only devoted a couple of chapters to Wang-Di’s time as a comfort woman. Kevin, a young boy, weaves his way into her life half a century later uncovering hidden truths in two families. He is a bright spark in the darkness.

A shattering, tender and absorbing novel that centres around the unfathomable cruelty that women in Singapore endured when they were snatched by the Japanese Army and forced into sexual slavery during World War Two. It was harrowing to read of Wang Di’s incarceration as a ‘comfort woman’ - far too benign a description for the barbarism that she and thousands of women endured across the occupied territories - yet what rings out from the book is human resilience and our capacity to love no matter how damaged we might be.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. An elderly woman is haunted by her past as a "comfort woman," while many people would prefer to cover up their family member’s tragic history. Parallelamente alla sua storia, c’è il racconto del piccolo Kevin un ragazzino singaporiano bullizzato a scuola che, alla morte della nonna, scopre un grande segreto celato alla famiglia per anni. 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.