Sweet Offerings

Sweet Offerings is not just a fictional story of the events that ripped one family apart, but a taste of Malaysia's historical, political and cultural changes during its transition from colonial rule to independence and beyond. "Chan Ling Yap's novel about a Chinese family spanning three generations evoke all the imagery of Malaysian life from the period before the second world war to the Emergency, Merdeka, and the present day. It was a time when wealthy Chinese men took on other 'wives', sometimes ill-treating them, but often a strong bond with a strict hierarchy grew between the wives. The story of Mei Yin is told with much sympathy ad insight - Her lessons in life include accepting a caring co-wife, dealing with an unfaithful husband, aborting an unwelcome pregnancy, being the subject of malicious rumours and being supplanted by a conniving gold-digger, but finally finding independence and self-esteem" Vimala Sarma.