It’s the eve of the handover in Hong Kong, 1997, when young Ophelia asks her great aunt Violet about the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II. From Violet, she finally learns the story of her grandmother Emily. In this meandering novel, we learn about Ophelia’s grandmother, her marriages, how class, race and status impacted her life, and the fallout of the Japanese army’s invasion of Hong Kong.

Upon a violent backdrop, this was a fascinating and moving story that explores Asian relations in an important moment of history, underground resistance, the daily life of those in Hong Kong, and the ascent of modern China. My own family are from Hong Kong and, since I can no longer ask my own grandparents, I really loved tracing ‘old Hong Kong’ through this sprawling story. At times, the pacing really lost me, but there’s so much humanity poured into this novel; Lai paints a memorable picture.