Peranakan family fights to survive the Japanese Occupation
11 hours ago
Terence Toh @ FMT Lifestyle
Lee Su Kim’s debut novel, ‘Run, My Daughters, Run’, draws on wartime history, family memory and Straits Chinese culture
Lee Su Kim drew on family memory, historical research and firsthand accounts to bring her debut novel to life. (Terence Toh @ FMT Lifestyle)
KUALA LUMPUR: Author and cultural activist Lee Su Kim recalls a family story that stayed with her long before she became a novelist.
Before she was born, her grandmother had given birth to a beautiful baby girl. When the infant fell gravely ill, the desperate family sought help from a medium, who delivered a series of unusual instructions – the most heartbreaking being that the baby had to be given away.
Caught in an impossible situation, Lee’s grandmother reluctantly complied and never saw her daughter again.
That story never left Lee: the Kuala Lumpur-born author often found herself wondering what she would have done in her grandmother’s place.
When she began writing her debut novel, “Run, My Daughters, Run”, the haunting family memory became the seed of one of its central plotlines.
“I did a lot of reading to ensure I got the details of the period correct. Curiously, I realised there doesn’t seem to be much literature about the Japanese Occupation from local perspectives,” Lee told FMT Lifestyle.
“Yes, there are academic and reference books, but stories matter too. They’re one of the most powerful ways to keep memories alive.”
Lee has 16 books to her name spanning short stories and non-fiction. She is perhaps best known for her acclaimed trilogy of Peranakan short-story collections: “Kebaya Tales”, “Sarong Secrets” and “Manek Mischiefs”.
Her non-fiction titles “Malaysian Flavours: Insights into Things Malaysian” and “Manglish: Malaysian English at its Wackiest” have each sold more than 10,000 copies.
Despite these accomplishments, there was still one mountain left for Lee to climb: writing a novel.
“I never thought I would write one! But I found myself at home during the second year of the pandemic with little to do. So I figured this was the time to take on the challenge.”
Before she was born, her grandmother had given birth to a beautiful baby girl. When the infant fell gravely ill, the desperate family sought help from a medium, who delivered a series of unusual instructions – the most heartbreaking being that the baby had to be given away.
Caught in an impossible situation, Lee’s grandmother reluctantly complied and never saw her daughter again.
That story never left Lee: the Kuala Lumpur-born author often found herself wondering what she would have done in her grandmother’s place.
When she began writing her debut novel, “Run, My Daughters, Run”, the haunting family memory became the seed of one of its central plotlines.
“I did a lot of reading to ensure I got the details of the period correct. Curiously, I realised there doesn’t seem to be much literature about the Japanese Occupation from local perspectives,” Lee told FMT Lifestyle.
“Yes, there are academic and reference books, but stories matter too. They’re one of the most powerful ways to keep memories alive.”
Lee has 16 books to her name spanning short stories and non-fiction. She is perhaps best known for her acclaimed trilogy of Peranakan short-story collections: “Kebaya Tales”, “Sarong Secrets” and “Manek Mischiefs”.
Her non-fiction titles “Malaysian Flavours: Insights into Things Malaysian” and “Manglish: Malaysian English at its Wackiest” have each sold more than 10,000 copies.
Despite these accomplishments, there was still one mountain left for Lee to climb: writing a novel.
“I never thought I would write one! But I found myself at home during the second year of the pandemic with little to do. So I figured this was the time to take on the challenge.”
Before long-form fiction, Lee built her reputation through acclaimed Peranakan short-story collections and books on local culture and language.
Published by Monsoon Books, “Run, My Daughters, Run” centres on a year in the life of a Peranakan family living in KL during the Japanese Occupation.
Pei Lin, a bright and bookish 17-year-old, sees her dreams of attending university shattered as she is forced to confront war, hunger and terror.
As conflict engulfs Malaya, she and her mother, Kim Neo, must battle hunger, evade occupying soldiers, and rely on one another to survive.
Their ordeal is further complicated by a devastating secret Kim Neo has kept hidden – one that could tear the family apart if brought to light.
The result is a gripping tale of courage, endurance and the bonds holding a family together through one of the darkest periods in Malayan history.
The Peranakan characters also allow Lee to weave elements of Straits Chinese culture and history into the novel, introducing readers to the community’s traditions, customs and rituals.
Telling an authentic story set during the Japanese Occupation required extensive research, with Lee immersing herself in academic books about the period.
She also sought firsthand accounts by speaking to several octogenarians and nonagenarians about those turbulent years. Among them were her neighbour William Mehta, and Henry Chan, whose family owns the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum in Melaka.
Another valuable source was her third aunt, now 99. Despite her advanced age, her memory remained remarkably sharp, Lee said, as she recounted many of her experiences, including fleeing to a rubber estate to evade soldiers searching for her family.
“When I finished writing the novel, I thanked her. Then she turned around and thanked me instead. She said nowadays, most people didn’t want to hear these stories. They don’t want to remember the dark times they went through,” Lee said.
Pei Lin, a bright and bookish 17-year-old, sees her dreams of attending university shattered as she is forced to confront war, hunger and terror.
As conflict engulfs Malaya, she and her mother, Kim Neo, must battle hunger, evade occupying soldiers, and rely on one another to survive.
Their ordeal is further complicated by a devastating secret Kim Neo has kept hidden – one that could tear the family apart if brought to light.
The result is a gripping tale of courage, endurance and the bonds holding a family together through one of the darkest periods in Malayan history.
The Peranakan characters also allow Lee to weave elements of Straits Chinese culture and history into the novel, introducing readers to the community’s traditions, customs and rituals.
Telling an authentic story set during the Japanese Occupation required extensive research, with Lee immersing herself in academic books about the period.
She also sought firsthand accounts by speaking to several octogenarians and nonagenarians about those turbulent years. Among them were her neighbour William Mehta, and Henry Chan, whose family owns the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum in Melaka.
Another valuable source was her third aunt, now 99. Despite her advanced age, her memory remained remarkably sharp, Lee said, as she recounted many of her experiences, including fleeing to a rubber estate to evade soldiers searching for her family.
“When I finished writing the novel, I thanked her. Then she turned around and thanked me instead. She said nowadays, most people didn’t want to hear these stories. They don’t want to remember the dark times they went through,” Lee said.
Lee spent years consulting academic sources and speaking to elderly Malaysians whose wartime memories helped shape the novel. (Terence Toh @ FMT Lifestyle)
Despite the darkness of its setting, the author infuses the novel with moments of humour and humanity, taking care not to portray any character as entirely heroic or villainous.
Lee also became so attached to her characters that she was genuinely distressed whenever the story required one of them to die.
Overall, while she enjoyed writing “Run, My Daughters, Run”, Lee believes it will be both her first and last novel.
The demands of writing long-form fiction, she said, were exhausting: “I wish I had taken on the challenge when I was younger!”
Of course, this doesn’t mean she is putting down her pen for good. Lee is already planning her next project, a book blending family memoir with classic Peranakan recipes.
In the meantime, she hopes readers will embrace “Run, My Daughters, Run” and, like her, draw inspiration from the generation that endured the Japanese Occupation.
“Our forefathers were incredibly resilient. They lived through war, poverty and persecution, yet they persevered.
“Many of them have passed away now, but I hope we never forget their stories or the spirit that carried them through those difficult times.”
‘Run, My Daughters, Run’ is available at bookstores nationwide. It will be launched at Lit Books on Aug 23.
Despite the darkness of its setting, the author infuses the novel with moments of humour and humanity, taking care not to portray any character as entirely heroic or villainous.
Lee also became so attached to her characters that she was genuinely distressed whenever the story required one of them to die.
Overall, while she enjoyed writing “Run, My Daughters, Run”, Lee believes it will be both her first and last novel.
The demands of writing long-form fiction, she said, were exhausting: “I wish I had taken on the challenge when I was younger!”
Of course, this doesn’t mean she is putting down her pen for good. Lee is already planning her next project, a book blending family memoir with classic Peranakan recipes.
In the meantime, she hopes readers will embrace “Run, My Daughters, Run” and, like her, draw inspiration from the generation that endured the Japanese Occupation.
“Our forefathers were incredibly resilient. They lived through war, poverty and persecution, yet they persevered.
“Many of them have passed away now, but I hope we never forget their stories or the spirit that carried them through those difficult times.”
‘Run, My Daughters, Run’ is available at bookstores nationwide. It will be launched at Lit Books on Aug 23.
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