A DIFFERENT SKY: THREE FAMILIES, MANY HISTORIES, ONE COUNTRY TO MAKE THEIR OWN

Book ID/图书代码： 02630510B36755

English Summary/英文概要： A dazzling novel telling the history of Singapore through the moving stories of three families whose lives become intertwined.

Riding a trolley bus through Singapore’s crowded Chinatown, ten-year-old Howard and his mother find themselves in the midst of a communist riot. As Howard watches, a British policeman is wounded by the mob. But Howard finds that, instead of horror he feels satisfaction. It is 1927 and in a Singapore still under British colonial rule, opportunities open to local people are few. On the bus with Howard is a young Chinese girl whose fears and frustrations are of a different kind. Born into a wealthy Chinese dynasty, with a grandmother still suffering from bound feet, Mei Lan faces a life of feminine submission if she is unable to break free. In the years to come, the pair will be drawn together, but when war arrives, followed by the brutal Japanese occupation, their sense of self will be thrown into question, and their relationship tested to breaking point.

In a novel of breathtaking scope, Meira Chand tells the story of three families caught up in the tumultuous history of Singapore, as it journeys along the long, hard path to independence. From the opportunist Raj Sherma, an Indian immigrant made good, to the young Communist Greta, fighting the imperialists in the 1950s, and from the mixed loyalties of the Eurasian and Chinese communities to the sufferings of British prisoners of war, A Different Sky paints a vivid panorama of Singapore society through the personal struggles and victories of characters the reader will find it hard to forget.

Chinese Summary/中文概要： 十岁的霍华德正与母亲搭乘无轨电车经过人头攒动的新加坡唐人街，他们无意中被卷入了一场共产主义的暴动。当一名身负重伤的英国警察出现在霍华德眼前时，他并没有感到害怕，一种奇怪的满足感却油然而生。
这是发生在1927年某天的一幕，新加坡仍处于英国殖民统治之下。与霍华德共乘一辆车的中国女孩叫梅兰，她正遭受一种截然不同恐惧。梅兰出生在一个富裕的传统家庭，她的祖母仍在忍受缠足之苦，梅兰必须挣脱枷锁才能逃离这样的生活。
在之后的岁月里，霍华德与梅兰的命运将紧密交织在一起。然而残酷的战争开始了，随着日本人的占领，他们面临着严酷的考验……
Meira Chand为读者们讲述了发生在新加坡暴乱时期中三个家庭的故事，正如新加坡一步步走向独立的过程，艰辛复杂。作者通过人物命运的起伏将新加坡社会全貌淋漓尽致地展现，生动而难忘。(RH)

Awards/获奖情况：

About the Author/作者介绍： Meira Chand出生在英格兰，成年后长时间居于日本和印度。1997年至今居于新加坡。她每年都要抽出一段时间往返于伦敦和日本。
Meira Chand经常探讨有关身份和文化错位的问题，她在作品中很好的表现出了这种多元性。Meira Chand的新作《不一样的天空》(A Different Sky)便是以正步入独立的新加坡为背景。

Meira Chand’s multi-cultural heritage is reflected in her novels, which explore the issues of identity and cultural dislocation.
Born and educated in England, she has lived much of her adult life in Japan and also in India. In 1997 she moved from Japan to Singapore, where she currently lives. Although based in Singapore, she spends a part of each year in London and still keeps ties with Japan. Her new novel, A Different Sky, is set against the backdrop of pre-Independence Singapore, and is to be published by Harvill Secker/ Random House next year.

Format:PROOF

Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE

Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE

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