The Other Side of Paradise

by Margaret Mayhew

Fans of Katie Flynn, Rosamunde Pilcher and Dinah Jeffries will love this emotional and sweeping wartime romance set in Singapore from bestselling author Margaret Mayhew.READERS ARE LOVING THE OTHER SIDE OF PARADISE! "Moving tale of bravery and human endurance...the sounds and smells and life of Singapore come alive in this well-told story" - 5 STARS"This is an amazing read" - 5 STARS"Left me craving more, loving the characters, totally absorbed in the detailed descriptions and finding myself recommending her novels over a coffee with friends" - 5 STARS"Great read!" - 5 STARS"Really loved this book" - 5 STARS**********************************************SHE ONLY LIVED FOR PLEASURE......until war forced her to find courage she did not know she had, and love where she least expected it.1941: Britain is in the grip of war; life in the Far East is one of wealth and privilege. In Singapore Susan Roper enjoys dancing, clothes and fast cars, tennis and light flirtations with visiting naval officers - her life is devoted solely to pleasure and dismisses any warnings of danger.Singapore goes on partying, oblivious to the threat of invasion and believing the British flag will, protect them from all enemies. But when Japan invades, Susan finds herself in grave danger. She becomes an ambulance driver and is taken prisoner by the Japanese. Gradually and reluctantly she realises that she will have to face many hardships and witness terrible events, forcing her to acknowledge the truth...But will this new world lead her to a love where she least expects it?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Romance, World War II, Fiction

370 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Margaret Mayhew was born in London and her earliest childhood memories were of the London Blitz. She began writing in her mid-thirties and had her first novel published in 1976. She is married to American aviation author, Philip Kaplan, and lives in Gloucestershire.

Reviews

[Beata Dobrogoszcz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love discovering books about the WWII in Asia, especially about the area occupied by Japanese.
This one starts with a very detailed description of life before and at the beginning of WWII in Singapore. The time of parties, lunches, the ladies afternoon teas, the dresses, all that thinking what to wear and when. The wonderful life of privileged in absolute denial of what is coming despite of many warnings. And then their world collapses. The life changes forever.
This is the life of very young girl Stella. I loved the contrast between the first part of her pre-war life and the second part when she became the prisoner in a Japanese camp. It is gripping and hear breaking. I would expect Stella’s camp life to be presented in more details. However, I understand that there is so much literature about that, that maybe it was not necessary from the point of the author.
One more very well written novel about WWII era. It is the first book by Margaret Mayhew I have read. And I will reach to other titles very soon.

[Jill Miclean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a light, fast read. The author spends a lot of time on details but not so much so that it bogs down the story. She really captures what living in Singapore in the months leading up to WWII was like.

I didn't much care for Susan, the spoiled, rich, party girl who was the main character. I was hoping that throughout the book she'd grow up and transform into a less selfish, caring person. She does a little but she becomes mostly hardened (quite understandable but it certainly wasn't the transformation I was hoping for), and the end of the book, while predictable, is not very satisfying or emotional given what the characters had just been through.

The stories of the Japanese prison camps were very high level and at times, a little too glossed over but good for those who don't want any gory details.

All in all, an ok read but nothing deeply emotional.

[Syima Misrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book about the Japanese occupation in Singapore during the 1940s.

It’s quite rare and difficult to find books about WWII in Malaya, so this was a refreshing read. However, the book doesn’t mention much about the local Malayan population, particularly the Malays. The presence of local characters is very minimal.

The main focus is on the lives of the British colonizers, while the local characters (mostly Chinese and Indian) appear mainly as servants in Susan’s household.

Still, it’s a well-written and engaging story that kept me reading until the end.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow whst an emotional roller coaster this one was. I planned to read through authors who I hadn't read in a while starting this spring and two authors in the books I picked were duds one ticked me off so much I contemplated burning it. I didn't have high hopes coming into this book. From the first time I saw it's beautiful cover I wanted to read it but never got around to it and I'm both sad I didn't read it sooner and also glad since I read this at as I was going through a bit of a rough patch and it helped take me away when I was able to focus that is. Had I read it during a better time I would've polished it off in a couple days cause when I picked it up I had a tough time putting it down again. The story follows Susan Roper. Susan was born and raised in Singapore. Same as her father. Her mother is pure English and hates it longing for home. Susan doesn't understand everyone singing about England and the king all the time. The book begins October 1941. War is a very far away thing and life is great in Singapore. Much like Hawaii they believe they are protected from Japanese attacks or invasion but it's all a facade as a reporter points out to Susan and her father. The Japanese are not dumb, they can see in the dark and frankly the island defenses are a joke. Guns mounted in cement unable to move and pointing the wrong way to name but one thing. Susan is spoiled and enjoys the good life, drinking, dancing and partying away. She meets Australian doctor Ray Harvey hates him on sight so we all can guess how this will end up. She has many male friends and a few female friends including a nurse Stella and another girl Milly who works at the hospital and alarmingly feeds her overweight dog milk chocolate. When Ray challenges her to do something with herself she learns to drive an ambulance leading to a harrowing scene once the Japanese invasion begins. With war coming closer the carefree happy life begins to crumble and evacuation begins. Susan leaves the ship her mother and grandmother are on and on her way home encounters and Chinese girl about four years old who's just lost her mom in a raid. Heading for the hospital she encounters Ray who hands her another child, one she saw at a pool days earlier called Peter. He urges her to take both children and get on a ship with the other nurses. The ship is sunk and Susan, Peter and the girl who we later learn is called Hua float in a life raft to a nearby island where villagers take them in heal them and terrified of the Japanese turn them in. Then they spend over three years in a POW camp and if you know even the slightest bit of history you know how awful the Japanese were. I'll never understand how Hitler is the personification of evil. Every politician is Hitler. Was he evil yes. But he wasn't the most evil in WWII. The most evil was fighting on our side, Stalin. And for all the horrors of the halocaust the Japanese were pure evil to their prisoners and I feel like that's often forgotten in history. I learned and was horrified about what the Nazis did in school, but I learned little to nothing about how cruel the Japanese were. Starvation, beating, sexually assaulting women denying basicmefical supplies feeding rotten food it was very similar to concentration camps without the gas chambers. Maybe because they didn't keep as meticulous records as the Germans did and in some cases made sure no one was left alive to tell of their atrocities. Even some of them were skimmed over in this book. The massacre of Bankga they mowed down Australian nurses after raping them. Here it just said they were slaughtered nothing about sexual assault. I looked it up because I knew there was a reason the book was set on this island and only one woman and two men survived that beach, the fictional Stella filling the role of the sole survivor Vivien Bullwinkel. The camps were tough but it doesn't go into too gruesome detail. There were moments that would've been funny in other times like the camp commandant ordering Susan to teach him English and English phrases. After three and a half years Susan and the others who managed to survive head back to see what's left of the life they left behind and it isn't pretty. I was in tears throughout most of part three although I did get a laugh at Hector who survived. Susan's character growth made this book what it was, from spoiled brat we see her slowly mature starting with her harrowing ambulance ride across the causeway into the fighting, to being responsible for two motherless children on a ship and later in the camps. The book begins in the first person almost like Susan is writing the prologoue of her memoirs and ends the same telling us what happened to everyone we met along the way who was fortunate enough to survive. As I said it was truly and emotional roller coaster but such a good story it was a rare time I was sad to see a book end. My only quibble was that I wasn't sure if they would let Hua a Chinese child live but again I don't know a lot of that history so maybe it could be true. But aside from that this book was gut wrenching and hard to put down. A fascinating glimpse into life in Singapore before the war and the devastion it caused to a once beautiful country.

[Ashleigh McCabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Margaret Mayhew novel. I really enjoyed this one and am keen to get my hands on some more of her books

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did quite enjoy this but it had echoes of Neville Shute's " A Town Like Alice" but a poorer version. The main character, Susan Roper is a bit too good to be believable. She goes from a rather over indulged part girl pre WWII to one who rose to the task of driving ambulances in Singapore to surviving all sorts of odds during the war.

To avoid spoilers I won't give too much detail but suffice to say the romance element of the story is a touch predictable.

Descriptions of pre war Singapore were interesting but the POW camp was a bit cleaned up and lacked any real "Tenko" detail. Having said that I did find it an easy read and a book I enjoyed reading while on holiday. It won't set the world on fire or change my life at all but a nice holiday read.

[Kathy Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was in need for a quick read to get my head off the heaviness of George’s Orwell 1984, and I returned to this book. I don’t usually re-read books, but this one was worth it. The world of Singapura described in the book was truly vibrant, and even though now is so far away from the time when the story took place, I was enthralled and even nostalgic of my own time in Singapore.

A solid 4 stars. How I miss Singapore.

[Georgina Shackleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I learnt a lot about the interment camps that women & children stayed during WW2. Run by the Japanese, it's made me what to find out more these events of history.

[LizTrue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt a bit mean giving this book only three stars because I did enjoy it, particularly the early chapters depicting life in pre-war Singapore when only a few people seem to realise the danger that the place is in. However, it is pretty standard fare in many ways. The characters, although likeable, are not depicted in any depth and the romantic outcome for Susan, the heroin, is pretty predictable.

For anyone who has seen Tenko and a Town Like Alice, there is relatively little about the description of life in a WW2 Japanese prison camp that will surprise. This section of the book felt a little rushed and the true horror of Susan's experience didn't really come across for me. Neither did the last chapters portray the very real difficulties that camp survivors would have experienced adjusting to the peaceful world once they were liberated. There is also a slightly odd switch to first person (Susan) narrative at the beginning and end of the book that I felt didn't really harmonise with the rest it. Nevertheless, if you want an easy and lively read about the conditions leading to the fall of Singapore and the consequences for those who were made prisoner, I'd recommend this. If you want something more meaty, try The Singapore Grip by J G Farrell.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing read. In parts it is a delightful snapshot of colonial life in pre-war Singapore, but also it is a truly harrowing picture of life during the Japanese conquest of the island in WW2.

The whole is an impeccably researched story that flows seamlessly from page to page, keeping the reader immersed in the colonial life of a group of young people during an idyllic period for them and then through the horrendous change war brought to them when it was completely believed by everyone in Singapore that the Japanese would never be able to invade or, indeed, overthrow the British regime there.

I loved how the characters interacted with each other and how realistic the lives they lived seemed throughout. Each individual was a huge part of the mosaic that made up the lives and times of the group and each individual brought their own personality into play within the story.

I fully recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the events in Singapore through WW2 and also to all those who enjoy a touch of romance in their reading.

I own a softback copy of this book.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading stories of the fall of Singapore including all the pain and pathos they bring. Susan roper is a privileged teenager when the story opens but is soon drawn into the war when she leaves the ship she is supposed to go to Australia on. She now finds herself alone and with two orphan children fleeing Singapore on other ship which is bombed. Three years as a prisoner of the Japanese is horrible with many deprivations and deaths. There are short chapters in the book of wars aftermath where there is a reconnection with other survivors. This was the authors work of fiction but based on other stories from those times.

[Cheryl Gibbs]

The front cover of the book read "An epic love story of courage under the shadow of war." However I found this to be misleading by the end of the book.

The story is in two parts, the first being about a young, naive Malaysian Born English girl and her indulgent lifestyle in Singapore before the Japanese invasion in WWII. The second part is how she survives being captured and interred in a Japanese POW camp.

It is an enjoyable read but I was a little let down by the epic love story the front cover promised.

[Jean M Hocking :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very pleasant read of a very historic time for Singapore.

It was a time that people spent time enjoying life, but only the upper classes.
A lot can be learnt even though this subject has been thrashed to death over many years.
This book does give an unusual side to an ugly period in Singapore's history.
Like so much in history it is the story of a colonial power abandoning its responsibility, this time due to its own dilemma.
A good read.

[Pamela Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this read, although I found it rather predictable. Although many parts of the book involved some of the Japanese atrocities, the way Margaret Mayhew described these episodes left me unemotional, whereas I know in my mind how awful and terrifying these acts were. Hence by the end of the story the main characters came out of it scarred but did not display enough to pull at my heart-strings. Her descriptions of the way of life in Singapore was indeed interesting.

[Angela Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must Read

An excellent read, that will have you hooked from the very start. I thoroughly enjoyed it & would recommend it to anyone who enjoys World War II based fiction. So many WWII fictions are based around the war in Europe, different to read about the experiences of the characters in Singapore. I actually learnt quite a bit from it.

[Rosemarie Cordova · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book from start to finish. Regardless of several naysayer reviews, I think M. Mayhew is an excellent writer. I like the way she doesn't bore to distraction with the "He said She said" thing. She gets to the point and moves on. She has a good hold on the physiology of the interaction between her characters. I have read other books by Mayhew and give her a 10 as a writer.

[ann betts · Rating 5 out of 5]

The other side of paradise

This was such a good read, the Author has done an excellent job researching and writing about Singapore and Malaysia during the times leading up to and during the Japanese occupation. Excellent read.

[Zoë · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been trying to make my way through a backlog of impulse buys stretching back years so I didn't really expect to particularly enjoy this one. But I found I did like it! Always a nice surprise. Glad I picked it up. It was a quick read and very compelling. Just what I needed right now.

[Lisa Whiteley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A survival story

It's a good story that starts out in Singapor during WWII. The beginning is a little slow but then it picks up as the Japanese invade. It becomes a story of determination, strength and survival of the main character, as she ends up as a civilian p.o.w.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good and interesting read.

[Catherine Matsubu · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful story

I read this book in one day and most of a night ( It's now 3:10 AM) I TRULY felt that I was there!

[Sarah S Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book.

I learned so much while being thoroughly entertained by the story. I have now read three of Mrs. Matthew's books and they have all been so good.

[Rachel Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this the story and the era

[Andrew Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading the story. Felt heavy reading the sad part of the war

[Sue Maycock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this book on Audible. I used to live out in Singapore many years ago now and was taken back in time by the description of the places and the local names for things. I have read many books set in Singapore during this time in history, and found it rather light weight and insignificant in comparison unfortunately.

If I have one criticism of the narrator it is the fact that she did not do her research on the Malay pronunciation of the written word. That would have made all the difference for me.

[Natalya · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable though sad read about life in Singapore during WW2.

[Fi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A credible depiction of life in Colonial Singapore both before & after the Japanese invasion; the book was extremely well-written, let down only by the chapters set in the women's interment camp, which could have been lifted verbatim from a script for the TV series 'Tenko'

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has been floating around my book swap group in Zürich, and I have a question for you English readers living in the UK and US: do the stores actually classify these kinds of books as Chick Lit, like they do in the English-language section here?

In any case, this was enjoyable. More like Chick Adventure, because although there's romance in the beginning and end, the plucky heroine spends a solid chunk of time escaping from the Japanese invasion of Singapore and then in a prison camp.

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a slow start I really enjoyed this story. I felt that the beginning was overly descriptive and a bit lighthearted, but on reflection this then serves to reiterate the sheer horror and chaos of the fall of Singapore and the cruelty experienced by those who were taken prisoner. Ultimately, it's a love story but there are moments of high drama interspersed with acts of bravery.

[Townsville Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book in Townsville