Genre: Historical Fiction

I hate war. I hate everything about it. I can listen to a nuanced explanation of reasons for war - why it happens from a variety of perspectives. Perhaps some part of the explanation might even make sense to me. But a book like Vanessa Chan’s The Storm We Made underscores why I hate war and the conflicts it provokes. Set in Malaya in 1945 and in 1935 - Chan explores the impact of war on one Malaysian family. Both timelines run concurrently in the novel. In 1935 Malaya was occupied by the British. Cecily Alcantara, a young mother, is lured into being a spy for Japan. By 1945, Malaya was occupied by the Japanese. Her entire family is endangered. Her son Abel has been captured and put to work in a Japanese camp. Her daughter Jujube works in a tea house and must deal daily with the Japanese soldiers, and until her disappearance young Jasmin is forced to hide in the basement to avoid being used at a comfort station for Japanese soldiers. Cecily feels the weight of her earlier decisions and horror ensues for them all.

Chan tells the book from the perspectives of all four main characters and goes back and forth between timelines. Each voice is strong and well developed. Cecily is motivated by something deep within. I can admire that while not loving the choices that she makes. Abel’s story is deeply tragic as he tries to survive the horror of camp - becoming addicted in the process. Jasmin is too young to comprehend the danger she is in, and I was scared by her childish choices. Jojube tries to be the glue that holds everyone together, and she just becomes angrier and angrier at her helplessness. As these characters’s stories develop, Chan creates suspense. The content is intriguing, and I was very engaged and invested in what was happening to each. Her movement from chapter to chapter allowed her to release the narrative in a way that kept me guessing…and reading.

I will never understand the cruelty of the world - from the playground to the workplace, within and between nations. I had a hard time shaking off this novel. First I wonder how I was blessed to be born where and when I was. Then I wonder if I’ve ever done enough to stop the cruelty in my corner of the world. Can you pray enough? How do I act? Vanessa Chan doesn’t let anyone off the hook - even in the title - with her novel The Storm We Made.