Setting
The book is based in the island country of Singapore and spans from 1897 till after the Second World War. Singapore was an important British colony and a major allied base in south-east Asia. During World War II, it became Japan's prime target in its bid to capture south-east Asia. After the invasion of the Malay peninsula in December 1941, Japan proceeded to attack Singapore. Ultimately, on 8th February 1942, Japanese troops landed in Singapore. The battle continued for the next seven days and eventually led to the fall of Singapore and the largest British surrender in history. All the British and Australian soldiers and citizens were sent to Changi prison
Storyline
The story unfolds in dual timelines of 1897 and 1941 in Singapore. In 1897, identical twins Mae and Harriet travel to Singapore from India with a scandalous past for new beginnings. Their benefactor wants one of them to marry David Kelley. While Harriet takes an instant dislike to David, Mae tolerates him bearing in mind their future. Both the sisters fall for the same man, Alex Blake and the sisterly rivalry comes to the fore. Mae turns bitter as despite being identical, Harriet hogged all the male attention. This soured their relationship too. When Harriet rejected David's proposal for marriage, he turned vengeful. It prompted a chain of events that led to heartbreak and betrayal. In 1941, Ivy-Mae's granddaughter suffered from nightmares after she nearly died, buried under the rubble after a bombing. She got posted to wartime Singapore much against the wishes of her grandmother. Mae had lived for a year in Singapore, a fact she had hidden from her granddaughter. With the Japanese invasion of the island country imminent, Ivy falls in love with Kit, an Australian officer. As she builds new relationships in Singapore, secrets from the past unravel.
My Thoughts
After reading umpteen number of World War II fiction based in Europe, I wanted to read a book about World War in South-East Asia. Island in the East is essentially a love story with the backdrop of the Second World War. Jenny Ashcroft has managed to seamlessly bridge the two timelines. Both the periods hold your attention equally. She has crafted complex characters with passionate love stories. Harriet/Mae's story has intense love, betrayal, heartbreak and sacrifice. Ivy's love story begins during the war when so much uncertainty prevailed. I got emotionally invested in both the stories. She has evocatively described the endless summer, intense heat and humidity of the island nation. The vivid description of the Fall of Singapore and the appalling living conditions of the inmates of Changi prison are well done by the author. A moving tale of love that I highly recommend.
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