Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - How We Disappeared

This book made me so sad and angry, while also managing to contain occasional tender moments that made the misery bearable. While the treatment Wang Di received at the hands of the Japanese wasn’t exactly a surprise,

I was really upset by how she was treated upon her return, not just by her neighbours, but by her brother

. I had to take a break to sit and have a think (and a cry) when I finished.

I liked the Kevin storyline, but I wish that it had been slightly less depressing, and also better developed. I wanted it to both counteract the horror of what I was reading about Wang Di, and also move and engage me in the same way.

As a side note: I knew nothing about the history of Singapore, and this book provided me with a really interesting introduction to the country. I would like to read more.

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heliacentr's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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cerilou's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I stumbled across this book whilst looking for books based on refugees for a reading challenge.

I have never really ventured in to reading historical fiction set in Asian countries especially around World War Two, Asian historical fiction is a sub genre that I was unaware of and I am a little disappointed to admit this.

This was a very moving, intriguing, informative and inspiring read that I am glad that I stumbled upon by chance and I am certainly going to aim to add more Asian historical fiction to my TBR list.

How we disappeared follows Wang Di during the war as a ‘comfort woman’ for the Japanese soldiers during World War Two, as well as Kevin who ventures on a discovery of the truth based on this ailing grandmother.

I certainly feel that I have learnt a very small snippet of Asian history from reading this book during World War Two and it broke my heart that this sort of thing happened and the horror and sense of shame is most certainly felt for the duration of the stories. Jing Jing Lee has done these women justice through this story about what the different families went through during World War Two.

I will mention that it may cause triggers concerning rape, sexual assault, abuse

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kate_in_a_book's review

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challenging emotional medium-paced

5.0

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betag1013's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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myparisbookshelf's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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rachyrexaphous's review

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dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Great for someone wanting insight into the experience of the Japanese occupation of Singapore, good glimpse into current socio-economic and cultural stigmas of sgrean society too

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