Bit Of Earth [TRADE PAPER ]

InA Bit of Earth, Suchen Christine Lim deftly weaves historical fact and a fiery imagination in a visually powerful multicultural story that spans three generations and four decades—proving once again that she is one of Asia’s leading fiction writers.

Malaya. A land of unparalleled richness. For centuries, the peninsula has attracted fortune hunters, money-grabbing pirates and migrants seeking a better life. Among those whose lives are rooted in the Malayan soil are three families: the Wongs, sons of the Chinese earth; the Wees, subjects of the English gods; and the Mahmuds, scions of the Malayan soil; each with different dreams for the bit of earth they live on. Their destinies meet and this clash of hopes inevitably leads to tragedy.

“A Bit of Earthchronicles the visceral and cultural struggle of a young Chinese immigrant to survive in an equally struggling Malayan nation… The immigrant earns his bit of earth only by continuously re-inventing himself and by negotiation with the forces of history.” —Lily Rose Tope, Professor, Department of English & Comparative Literature, University of the Philippines

"Suchen Christine Lim’s fourth novel is her most ambitious so far. Lim has always been fearless in tackling a multiplicity of voices set against a broad canvas. But in this new book, she has surpassed herself." —Straits TimesSuchen Christine Limwas born in the Malaysian state of Perak and came to Singapore at the age of 14. After graduation, she taught in a junior college and worked as a curriculum specialist in the Ministry of Education. In 2003, she resigned to write full time.

Suchen was awarded the inaugural Singapore Literature Prize forFistful of Coloursin 1992. Among other acclaimed works are her debut novelRice Bowl(1984),A Bit of Earth(2001) andThe River’s Song(2014), which was one ofKirkusl£K