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daniela_is_reading's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
4.25
WARNING ⚠️- review comes with triggers.
SYNOPSIS and THOUGHTS:
I've read a number of war based novels over the years. Some, have been standouts and will stay with me forever. 'How we Disappeared' is one of these standouts. Jing-Jing Lee speaks of the abhorrent experience and treatment of women and children during the 3 year Japanese occupation of Singapore in WWII.
Children as young as 12 were taken from their families and forced to work in a military brothel. They called them, 'comfort women', but they were in fact sex slaves, living in poor conditions, underfed and often beaten and raped multiple times on a daily basis. Many never saw their families and friends again. They, just disappeared.
In this beautifully told but heart wrenching story we follow the life of Wang Di prior the Japanese occupation, during her 3 years at the military brothel and much later as an elderly women in search of her voice and peace after losing her beloved husband.
Also, fast forward to the year 2000, and we get to know, and love 12 year old Kevin. Kevin's frail grandmother, in her dying breath mumbles a confession to Kevin which sets a ball in motion. Kevin is determined to find answers. In doing so, it leads him straight to Wang Di, where many truths not spoken about for decades are revealed.
This is not a comfortable or light read, but I feel it's an important one. It took me a little longer to finish, as at times, I had to put it down and have a break. However, I have no regrets reading it.
Please note, prior picking this one up that it's heavy and can be triggering to some.
SYNOPSIS and THOUGHTS:
I've read a number of war based novels over the years. Some, have been standouts and will stay with me forever. 'How we Disappeared' is one of these standouts. Jing-Jing Lee speaks of the abhorrent experience and treatment of women and children during the 3 year Japanese occupation of Singapore in WWII.
Children as young as 12 were taken from their families and forced to work in a military brothel. They called them, 'comfort women', but they were in fact sex slaves, living in poor conditions, underfed and often beaten and raped multiple times on a daily basis. Many never saw their families and friends again. They, just disappeared.
In this beautifully told but heart wrenching story we follow the life of Wang Di prior the Japanese occupation, during her 3 years at the military brothel and much later as an elderly women in search of her voice and peace after losing her beloved husband.
Also, fast forward to the year 2000, and we get to know, and love 12 year old Kevin. Kevin's frail grandmother, in her dying breath mumbles a confession to Kevin which sets a ball in motion. Kevin is determined to find answers. In doing so, it leads him straight to Wang Di, where many truths not spoken about for decades are revealed.
This is not a comfortable or light read, but I feel it's an important one. It took me a little longer to finish, as at times, I had to put it down and have a break. However, I have no regrets reading it.
Please note, prior picking this one up that it's heavy and can be triggering to some.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and War
barbiejoon12's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Sexual harassment, and War
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Trafficking, and Murder
Minor: Gore, Violence, and Blood
sincitylibrarian's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This is a rough read. It's a book about the trauma of war with a somewhat complex web of characters. The story ultimately is inspiring, and it is written from the point of view of the survivors not the oppressors which makes it a worthwhile but heavy read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and War
peonyrey's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This is a book that is going to stay with me, one that I am going to think of for a very long time. I feel as though I do not have the words to properly describe how heartbreaking it is, especially with the knowledge that the horrors that Wang Di experienced in her life are ones that really were inflicted upon real people, real women, real families, during the Japanese occupation of WW2. People and families who are still feeling the pain and hurt from the war, the occupation, and the horrible things that happened to this day.
The book is very well written, and is only difficult to read at times due to the subject, but it is still one that I would urge you to continue reading even if you need a break. The way that the storylines are woven together is masterful, and there were so many lines in this book that left me repeating them in my mind due to their impact.
I did not intend to finish reading this book today, August 14th, which is the memorial day for comfort women, but it feels fitting. I can only hope that those hurt by the war & Japanese occupation and their families find healing, and that the women like Wang Di who are still alive are able to live their lives peacefully and know that they have nothing to be ashamed of.
The book is very well written, and is only difficult to read at times due to the subject, but it is still one that I would urge you to continue reading even if you need a break. The way that the storylines are woven together is masterful, and there were so many lines in this book that left me repeating them in my mind due to their impact.
I did not intend to finish reading this book today, August 14th, which is the memorial day for comfort women, but it feels fitting. I can only hope that those hurt by the war & Japanese occupation and their families find healing, and that the women like Wang Di who are still alive are able to live their lives peacefully and know that they have nothing to be ashamed of.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Child death
deedireads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
How We Disappeared is a moving, well-written novel that brings to life the experiences of “comfort women” in Singapore during WWII.
For you if: You are a fan of literary historical fiction.
FULL REVIEW:
I picked up How We Disappeared because it was longlisted for the 2020 Women’s Prize. I don’t think I would have read it otherwise — historical fiction (even literary historical fiction) isn’t one of my go-to genres — but I enjoyed it, and it definitely made a nice addition to my list.
The novel is a portrayal of the imagined experiences of “comfort women” (sex slaves) during the Japanese occupation of Singapore during WWII, centering on a young girl named Wang Di. It alternates between the past and today, as she grapples with the loneliness of new widowhood and a secret past that sits heavily on her shoulders. Meanwhile, a young boy named Kevin seeks to solve a mystery left behind by his recently deceased grandmother.
The characters in this book are what makes it shine — I rooted so hard for Kevin, and my heart broke for Wang Di. As you might expect from a book about sexual enslavement, there are parts that are difficult to read. But the novel stands as a beautiful ode to and remembrance of the women who suffered. I recommend this one if you like historical fiction, and especially if you’re looking for a time period and location that isn’t often featured in novels.
TL;DR REVIEW:
How We Disappeared is a moving, well-written novel that brings to life the experiences of “comfort women” in Singapore during WWII.
For you if: You are a fan of literary historical fiction.
FULL REVIEW:
I picked up How We Disappeared because it was longlisted for the 2020 Women’s Prize. I don’t think I would have read it otherwise — historical fiction (even literary historical fiction) isn’t one of my go-to genres — but I enjoyed it, and it definitely made a nice addition to my list.
The novel is a portrayal of the imagined experiences of “comfort women” (sex slaves) during the Japanese occupation of Singapore during WWII, centering on a young girl named Wang Di. It alternates between the past and today, as she grapples with the loneliness of new widowhood and a secret past that sits heavily on her shoulders. Meanwhile, a young boy named Kevin seeks to solve a mystery left behind by his recently deceased grandmother.
The characters in this book are what makes it shine — I rooted so hard for Kevin, and my heart broke for Wang Di. As you might expect from a book about sexual enslavement, there are parts that are difficult to read. But the novel stands as a beautiful ode to and remembrance of the women who suffered. I recommend this one if you like historical fiction, and especially if you’re looking for a time period and location that isn’t often featured in novels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Rape, Slavery, Violence, and Trafficking
Moderate: Ableism and Bullying
whatsallyreadnext's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I decided to read Jing-Jing Lee's How We Disappeared last month after hearing a lot of recommendations for the book from the bookstagram community. It's been a book that I'd had my eye on for a while and after reading it, I'm not surprised that it was longlisted for the 2020 Women's Prize for Fiction. Trigger warnings for this book include: death, rape, sex slavery.
How We Disappeared is a beautifully written yet harrowing story of the struggles that women faced during the Japanese occupation of Singapore in the 1940s. As a seventeen-year-old, Wang Di was snatched from her family in Singapore and forced into being a 'comfort woman' at a brothel for Japanese troops. Fast-forward to the year 2000 and she is still haunted by her experiences and what she saw happen at the brothel. In a second narrative, twelve-year-old Kevin hears his beloved grandmother mumble parts of a life-long secret that she's kept from her family just before she passes away. This spurs him to find out the truth about his grandmother and what he uncovers is much bigger than he initially realised.
As the reader, the mystery behind Kevin's grandmother's confession had me guessing for most of the book and speculate how the two narratives of Wang Di and Kevin would eventually merge together. However, the alternating narratives of Wang Di in the 1940s, Wang Di sixty years later and Kevin took a little while for me to get used to and keep up with. I found that I was most interested in Wang Di's account from the 1940s, though the trauma she faced and saw was difficult to read at times. I think that How We Disappeared is a strong debut from Jing-Jing Lee and it raises awareness of a period of time in SE Asia that some people might not be aware of. This book reminded me of Mary Lynn Bracht's White Chrysanthemum which I read several years ago and was also about 'comfort women' - I would highly recommend both of these books!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Child death