Despite the relative slow-pace of the story, there was never a dull moment. There were three separate timelines in the book, switching from one to another in random order, but there was no confusion in which timeline the story was in as I read along. Just like the first book, I was able to relate with the story because it was in Malaysia, my own country. Cameron Highlands, the Japanese Occupation, the people and places mentioned in the book were familiar to me in various degrees. Because of that, I could almost feel like I'm in the story the characters, something I could not find in other stories that happened outside Malaysia.
One particular moment I found very funny was a scene at a kopitiam when someone cussed in Cantonese. Never thought I would see that in this book. I recalled that the audiobook version was already available, narrated by Anna Bentinck. I kept wondering if she can actually use the correct accent and tone to perform the cussing, as well as other lines spoken by various races in the book. An English woman cussed in Cantonese. That I'm not sure if I want to hear. I prefer narrating the lines in my head, with the proper male/female voices, tones and accents. That's one of the fun things you get to do while reading.
I think all Malaysia readers should read these books. Not only because it's written by a Malaysian about Malaysia (or Malaya since the stories were before independence) and the second book won a prize. It's also beautifully written and wonderful to read.
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