Description
Book SynopsisFacing challenges in an increasingly colonial world, Chye Hoon, a rebellious young girl, must learn to embrace her mixed Malayan-Chinese identity as a Nyonya—and her destiny as a cook, rather than following her first dream of attending school like her brother. Amidst the smells of chillies and garlic frying, Chye Hoon begins to appreciate the richness of her traditions, eventually marrying Wong Peng Choon, a Chinese man. Together, they have ten children. At last, she can pass on the stories she has heard—magical tales of men from the sea—and her warrior’s courage, along with her wonderful kueh (cakes). But the cultural shift towards the West has begun. Chye Hoon finds herself afraid of losing the heritage she so prizes as her children move more and more into the modernising Western world.
Trade ReviewA Goodreads Best Book of the Month “In this vividly drawn, deeply affecting first novel, a spirited girl who is forbidden to attend school as a child is inspired by the warrior myths of her ancestral past told to her by her mother. Though uneducated, Chye Hoon goes on to forge her own destiny as a cook, famed for her savory kueh cakes. Author Selina Siak Chin Yoke’s special magic draws us instantly and poignantly into Chye Hoon’s epic struggle to preserve her family as well as her vanishing culture.” —Laura Esquivel, author of Pierced by the Sun and the New York Times bestselling Like Water for Chocolate
