Chan Ling Yap's third novel has all the assurance of her first two successes - and more. A strong story line, deftly rendered in brief and readable instalments, takes us from the turbulence of a China unmercifully exploited with opium by the western powers in Victorian times, to the race and clan rivalries of an emerging Singapore and Malaya. The beautiful and tragic figure of Hua might serve as a metaphor for the suffering sub-continent; and that of her husband Ngao for the resilience of the Chinese themselves. The refinement and the thuggery of China alike, the bustle of Singapore and the tropical potential of Malaya in those days are all made to feel familiar rather than foreign, the high emotions to be shared rather than differentiate us. The characters are entirely believable, the degree of background 'colour' is perfectly judged, and the pace seductive: don't be surprised if you find you read this book at a sitting. - Bill Jackson,Editor, The Corporal and the Celestials, Ulster Historical Foundation