
Penang 1939. Sixteen-year-old Philip Hutton is a loner. Half English half Chinese & feeling neither he discovers a sense of belonging in an unexpected friendship with Hayato Endo a Japanese diplomat. Philip shows his new friend around his adored island of Penang & in return Endo trains him in the art & discipline of aikido. But such knowledge comes at a terrible price. The enigmatic Endo is bound by disciplines of his own & when the Japanese invade Malaya threatening to destroy Philip's family & everything he loves he realises that his trusted sensei
- to whom he owes absolute loyalty
- has been harbouring a devastating secret. Philip must risk everything in an attempt to save those he has placed in mortal danger & discover who & what he really is. With masterful & gorgeous narrative replete with exotic & captivating images sounds & aromas
- of rain swept beaches magical mountain temples pungent spice warehouses opulent colonial ballrooms & fetid & forbidding rainforests
- Tan Twan Eng weaves a haunting & unforgettable story of betrayal barbaric cruelty steadfast courage & enduring love.