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  • State of Emergency by Jeremy Tiang book cover
  • State of Emergency by Jeremy Tiang book cover
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State of Emergency

by Jeremy Tiang

Family history amid political upheaval

$18.74 USD
$31.24 USD $18.74 USD
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AlbakiReads Editorial

Family history amid political upheaval

Spanning the 1940s to the present, Jeremy Tiang’s novel connects the lives of an extended family to the political history of Singapore and Malaysia. Siew Li leaves her husband and young children to join a fight for freedom in the jungles of Malaya. Decades later, a Malaysian journalist investigates a massacre from the Emergency, while Siew Li’s son seeks answers about his family. These interlocking stories bring together leftist movements, political detentions and questions about how much of the past can be recovered. The novel’s historical scope makes family memory and the pursuit of truth part of a broader account of regional upheaval.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in fiction shaped by Singaporean and Malaysian history.
  • Readers drawn to multigenerational family stories and investigations of the past.
  • Readers looking for novels that engage with political movements and detention.

Themes

Family historyPolitical upheavalLeftist movements and political detentionHistorical truth and memory

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"State of Emergency is a compelling, important piece of work from one of Singapore's finest living authors." -The Straits Times

Siew Li leaves her husband and young children to fight for freedom in the jungles of Malaya. Decades later, a Malaysian journalist returns to her homeland to uncover the truth of a massacre committed during the Emergency, while Siew Li's son uncovers the truth of his family's past. Informed by years of painstaking research, Jeremy Tiang's debut novel dives into the tumultuous days of leftist movements and political detentions in Singapore and Malaysia. It follows an extended family from the 1940s to the present day as they navigate the choppy political currents of the region.
State of Emergency questions whether we can grasp the truth after the fact. And yet, in the very telling of its interlocking stories, it reaffirms the importance of trying.

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Customer reviews

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Malaika Taylor

I highly recommend to for anyone looking for inner clarity

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Great service and fast service

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Ella

Great shopping experience! The book arrived quickly, was well packaged, and matched the description perfectly. I would definitely shop with you again

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