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For That Day
One rainy day, at a bus stop, a little girl walks up to me. She asks, “Jie Jie, why is it raining today?”
I pat her head and smile. “Little girl, why are you crying here alone?”
“Because it is raining, and I am waiting for the rain to stop. Jie Jie, do you know why it rains? I am always very sad when it rains, because I cannot walk home.”
“Don’t ask me why the rain has come; ask me when the rainbow will be formed.”
I pat her head and smile. “Little girl, why are you crying here alone?”
“Because it is raining, and I am waiting for the rain to stop. Jie Jie, do you know why it rains? I am always very sad when it rains, because I cannot walk home.”
“Don’t ask me why the rain has come; ask me when the rainbow will be formed.”
206 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2011
6 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Low Kay Hwa
17 books29 followersLow Kay Hwa, born in 1985, is the youngest bestselling author in Singapore, having been on many Singapore bestsellers lists (major bookstores and national newspapers) together with international authors like Jodi Picoult and Nicholas Sparks. In his country, he is the only local writer to have entered the list for years.
In 2012, he has over 117,000 "Likes" in his Facebook Page and over 10,000 double opt-in subscribers. He is often invited to schools to give talks and is a mentor to many aspiring authors.
He has been writing since seven and published his first novel when he was seventeen. He is currently pursuing a B.A. (Honours) in English Language and Literature, and will be getting his M.A. in English by 2015.
Low Kay Hwa prefers to keep a low profile (in his words, "Let my books do the talking"), and therefore does not show his face online except for newspaper and magazine articles. His books are often sleeper hits; they usually stay in the normal bookstores shelves for one to two months before reaching the bestsellers lists through positive word-of-mouth marketing by his readers.
In 2012, he has over 117,000 "Likes" in his Facebook Page and over 10,000 double opt-in subscribers. He is often invited to schools to give talks and is a mentor to many aspiring authors.
He has been writing since seven and published his first novel when he was seventeen. He is currently pursuing a B.A. (Honours) in English Language and Literature, and will be getting his M.A. in English by 2015.
Low Kay Hwa prefers to keep a low profile (in his words, "Let my books do the talking"), and therefore does not show his face online except for newspaper and magazine articles. His books are often sleeper hits; they usually stay in the normal bookstores shelves for one to two months before reaching the bestsellers lists through positive word-of-mouth marketing by his readers.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 25, 2012
It started off well. Really well. Okay...I didn't like the part where Teo Mei Ling found Kelvin, and he told her to abort Yvonne - perhaps my upbringing as a Catholic influenced this: I didn't like the idea of marrying as the result of a deal - but, subsequently, I found a story of strength and inspiration. That, I enjoyed very much.
Yvonne...should've seemed like an unrealistic character. But I don't know why I could actually believe in such an existence. Perhaps I felt certain that cancer and other terminal diseases (my apologies if I don't use the right terminology; I'm afraid I'm not experienced in such matters) can mould people that way - they can transform a child into an adult in a matter of months, perhaps (or at least, a much shorter period of time than the usual) and this child-adult can inspire anybody around them. I was pleased, though, to see the change in Teo Mei Ling. Her transformation, at the very least, seemed definitely realistic to me.
Jun Hao...is a little idiot. I suppose he is meant to be portrayed this way, though. Then he meets Yvonne who teaches him to live life more optimistically. His side of the story presents greater detail than Teo Mei Ling's, and perhaps that's why I can find more to criticise about the storyline.
While I adored the idea that Yvonne is inspiring all whom she meets (and I have little difficulty seeing how Jun Hao fell for her)... how did Yvonne fall for Jun Hao? Maybe this is hard to show, because her side of the story is seldom presented except in snippets of diary entries, but...how??
However, Jun Hao's growth was portrayed quite beautifully. I felt like I learnt a few things about life alongside him. Although...I did wonder: why did Jun Hao and Yvonne mature differently while both are battling some form of cancer? Because I have no experience of encountering cancer victims, I shall not comment on this; I did, however, find this rather thought-provoking.
Low Kay Hwa has an interesting sense of humour too. I quote Yvonne, "Oh man, this is so melodramatic, like some novels by Low Kay Hwa. I hate Low Kay Hwa." He incorporates himself into his story! Which I don't see very often (...have I ever?) seen in many other books. And he pokes fun at himself so he doesn't seem snobbish. Not bad!
(This is my first time reading anything by this author, though, so please excuse me if I find anything original that has been used frequently in his other novels already.)
...I had high expectations for the ending, I think. It might've been why I finished reading this book so quickly. But it didn't quite meet my expectations. Yes, it was as melodramatic as Yvonne suggested. Maybe I was expecting something more...unexpected - different from endings that most books tend to lead towards. And it felt...a little forced, for some reason. Okay, I've never been fond of unhappy endings anyway but...this one feels strange. Perhaps, because it feels like it's simply restating the introduction or summarising the story rather than wrapping it up properly? Lenny's side of the story sheds a little more light on Yvonne's actions (such as writing a future diary entry) but somehow it feels...unnecessary? out of place?
My roommate just told me about how this author's books tend to have very "expected" endings. I have to agree with her. But to me, the most important thing about a book is its ability to teach something or inspire. For That Day has done that for me. Also, I felt that I connected with this book better than most other local literature I've read so far, perhaps because this story is set in my generation. Hence, I "really liked it" because of its inspirational value (I wonder if there's a better word than this...) and its ability to connect with me.
Yvonne...should've seemed like an unrealistic character. But I don't know why I could actually believe in such an existence. Perhaps I felt certain that cancer and other terminal diseases (my apologies if I don't use the right terminology; I'm afraid I'm not experienced in such matters) can mould people that way - they can transform a child into an adult in a matter of months, perhaps (or at least, a much shorter period of time than the usual) and this child-adult can inspire anybody around them. I was pleased, though, to see the change in Teo Mei Ling. Her transformation, at the very least, seemed definitely realistic to me.
Jun Hao...is a little idiot. I suppose he is meant to be portrayed this way, though. Then he meets Yvonne who teaches him to live life more optimistically. His side of the story presents greater detail than Teo Mei Ling's, and perhaps that's why I can find more to criticise about the storyline.
While I adored the idea that Yvonne is inspiring all whom she meets (and I have little difficulty seeing how Jun Hao fell for her)... how did Yvonne fall for Jun Hao? Maybe this is hard to show, because her side of the story is seldom presented except in snippets of diary entries, but...how??
However, Jun Hao's growth was portrayed quite beautifully. I felt like I learnt a few things about life alongside him. Although...I did wonder: why did Jun Hao and Yvonne mature differently while both are battling some form of cancer? Because I have no experience of encountering cancer victims, I shall not comment on this; I did, however, find this rather thought-provoking.
Low Kay Hwa has an interesting sense of humour too. I quote Yvonne, "Oh man, this is so melodramatic, like some novels by Low Kay Hwa. I hate Low Kay Hwa." He incorporates himself into his story! Which I don't see very often (...have I ever?) seen in many other books. And he pokes fun at himself so he doesn't seem snobbish. Not bad!
(This is my first time reading anything by this author, though, so please excuse me if I find anything original that has been used frequently in his other novels already.)
...I had high expectations for the ending, I think. It might've been why I finished reading this book so quickly. But it didn't quite meet my expectations. Yes, it was as melodramatic as Yvonne suggested. Maybe I was expecting something more...unexpected - different from endings that most books tend to lead towards. And it felt...a little forced, for some reason. Okay, I've never been fond of unhappy endings anyway but...this one feels strange. Perhaps, because it feels like it's simply restating the introduction or summarising the story rather than wrapping it up properly? Lenny's side of the story sheds a little more light on Yvonne's actions (such as writing a future diary entry) but somehow it feels...unnecessary? out of place?
My roommate just told me about how this author's books tend to have very "expected" endings. I have to agree with her. But to me, the most important thing about a book is its ability to teach something or inspire. For That Day has done that for me. Also, I felt that I connected with this book better than most other local literature I've read so far, perhaps because this story is set in my generation. Hence, I "really liked it" because of its inspirational value (I wonder if there's a better word than this...) and its ability to connect with me.
July 30, 2012
This is an incredible book--well written, emotionally-captivating, and profoundly inspirational . It starts with a very moving story from the perspective of a mother, showing her love and determination to do all that is possible to help her child. Ling asks, “Would you lie if you were me?” The book asks: How do you keep your family intact and parent effectively when your world is falling apart? How do you watch your child deteriorate before your eyes? How do you handle him asking if he could give up? How do you help your children prepare for the unthinkable? As Ling wrestled with these issues, I felt I was sharing them with her, and the mother in me ached in empathy. All of the scenes involving CuteCute and Lenny’s letter to Ling are unforgettable.
Just when I thought all emotion had drained from me, the story shifts to the perspective of the children and their attempts to make sense of what is going on in their lives. They are referred to as warriors, and that they were, “Living for the number of smiles and not the number of months.”
The book is a story of courage, intense love, living life to the fullest, dreaming seemingly impossible dreams, and the question of whether anyone is entitled to decide the life journey of another. These are special characters who inspire as we pray we never have to face what they did. As an American reader, I had a few problems with terms and phrasing found in the earlier pages of the book, but the overall emotional impact of the story transcends cultural differences. Soon I only noticed the excellent writing. Low Kay Hwa, you deserve one of Lenny’s “ pats on the head.” Beautiful story. I highly recommend it.
I was given a review copy of the book by the author, but the thoughts expressed are solely mine.
Just when I thought all emotion had drained from me, the story shifts to the perspective of the children and their attempts to make sense of what is going on in their lives. They are referred to as warriors, and that they were, “Living for the number of smiles and not the number of months.”
The book is a story of courage, intense love, living life to the fullest, dreaming seemingly impossible dreams, and the question of whether anyone is entitled to decide the life journey of another. These are special characters who inspire as we pray we never have to face what they did. As an American reader, I had a few problems with terms and phrasing found in the earlier pages of the book, but the overall emotional impact of the story transcends cultural differences. Soon I only noticed the excellent writing. Low Kay Hwa, you deserve one of Lenny’s “ pats on the head.” Beautiful story. I highly recommend it.
I was given a review copy of the book by the author, but the thoughts expressed are solely mine.
January 24, 2013
This is a book of hope and of courage. Watching three people, Lenny, Yvonne and Jun Hao, fighting against cancer, I was greatly touched by the encouraging acts and words of these people. Also, I enjoyed how the author unfolded this story: the shift of narrators allowed readers to view the story from different perspectives. Reading this book was like piecing together a puzzle: from Mrs Chua's point of view, one roughly got an idea of the story; from Jun Hao's point of view, one got to know the full details, which tugged at the heartstrings.
One major problem I felt of this book is that it does not feel real. Though the setting --those places do exist in Singapore-- lends credence to the story, the dialogues between the characters do not sound natural. Some sentences they utter are simply too long or too grammatically correct (e.g. Jun Hao's). Part of Yvonne's 'speeches' to Jun Hao is somewhat dogmatic rather than inspirational. If their dialogues can be further developed, the characters will be 'rounder' and readers can respond better.
One major problem I felt of this book is that it does not feel real. Though the setting --those places do exist in Singapore-- lends credence to the story, the dialogues between the characters do not sound natural. Some sentences they utter are simply too long or too grammatically correct (e.g. Jun Hao's). Part of Yvonne's 'speeches' to Jun Hao is somewhat dogmatic rather than inspirational. If their dialogues can be further developed, the characters will be 'rounder' and readers can respond better.
January 18, 2013
[2013-01-18] I read this book back in August, after receiving a kindle copy from the author. It is a wonderful story of hope, strength and tradegy - tradegy refused, fought and transcended. I will be writing a fuller review in time (and probably rereading!!), but in the meantime, I recommend you grab a copy and read it!
August 4, 2013
Beautiful story about hope, courage, strength, love and family. I cried so much from beginning to end. The emotions from Low Kay Hwa's writing is very strong. It hits you and it hits you hard. The Singaporean touch just made it 1000x better. A VERY GOOD READ ! <3
July 7, 2013
A rather inspiring read, told from various points of views and essentially looks at how 2 kids battle cancer in very different ways.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews