The Interpreter's Daughter
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  • Published: 5 July 2022
  • ISBN: 9780241544419
  • Imprint: Michael Joseph
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 352
  • RRP: $38.00

The Interpreter's Daughter

A remarkable true story of feminist defiance in 19th Century Singapore

Formats & editions
Audiobook
23 Jun 2022
Tr. Paperback
5 Jul 2022
Hardback
19 Jul 2022
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A photograph passed down through generations inspires this beautifully written, compelling memoir of one Singapore family and the secrets that defined their story

A cherished family photograph, taken in Hong Kong, 1935, sets Teresa Lim on a journey to uncover her family history. Through detective work, serendipity, and the kindness of strangers she was guided to the fascinating, ordinary, extraordinary life of her great-aunt Fanny, and her world of sworn spinsters, ghost husbands and the working-class feminists of 19th century south China.

But to recover her great-aunt's past, we must first get to know Fanny's family, the times and circumstances in which they lived, and the momentous yet forgotten conflicts that would lead to war in Singapore and, ultimately, a long-buried family tragedy.
  • Published: 5 July 2022
  • ISBN: 9780241544419
  • Imprint: Michael Joseph
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 352
  • RRP: $38.00
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About the author

Teresa Lim

Teresa Lim is a Singaporean now resident in England. She lives with her husband in south London and Devon. They have two grown-up sons. The Interpreter's Daughter is her first book.

Praise for The Interpreter's Daughter

A captivating, compelling story of history, family loyalty, and personal sacrifice... Teresa Lim's quest to uncover a hidden chapter in her family's history makes for a fascinating and richly textured, multigenerational tale

Charmaine Wilkerson, author of Black Cake

A captivating family history. Lim vividly recreates Singapore in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and lucidly explains historical matters and cultural traditions

Publisher's Weekly

Rich in the little-discussed history of Singaporean Chinese, this multigenerational memoir offers a timeless tale of the quest for identity, wholeness and truth. An eloquently enlightening family history

Kirkus Reviews

'A wonderful portrait of a family. One for lovers of Wild Swans. Hats off to Teresa Lim'

Hope Adams

A captivating, compelling story of history, family loyalty, and personal sacrifice... Teresa Lim's quest to uncover a hidden chapter in her family's history makes for a fascinating and richly textured, multigenerational tale

Charmaine Wilkerson, author of Black Cake

A captivating family history. Lim vividly recreates Singapore in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and lucidly explains historical matters and cultural traditions

Publisher's Weekly

Rich in the little-discussed history of Singaporean Chinese, this multigenerational memoir offers a timeless tale of the quest for identity, wholeness and truth. An eloquently enlightening family history

Kirkus Reviews

'A wonderful portrait of a family. One for lovers of Wild Swans. Hats off to Teresa Lim'

Hope Adams