Sold For Silver

by Janet Lim

Life in the Chinese village where Janet Lim passed her childhood went on as it had for a thousand years. The village was walled against bandits and its inhabitants cultivated the fields outside, chiefly for beans and sweet potatoes to eat and rice to sell. Occasionally it indulged in a small war against a neighbouring village over a bit of land, occasionally it was raided by wolves in search of food, and children--in one instance Janet's cousin--would disappear. Hunger and the spirits invisibly but closely lurking everywhere were its common preoccupations, but the slow daily round was varied and mitigated by the ancient rituals of religion and superstition, the festivities attendant upon birth, marriage and death, the quiet, unspoken happiness of family love.When Janet was eight her father died and her mother, after betrothing her to a local boy according to custom, re-married and presently, giving Janet in charge to a neighbour, left for a distant place with her new husband. Little time elapsed before her guardian took occasion to dispose of her after a manner long practised with unwanted Chinese girls by selling her to an elderly merchant in Singapore wanting an additional servant and concubine. The local Christian Mission procured her release, sent her to school and arranged for her to be trained as a nurse. Then, after several tranquil years, the War broke out in the East and the military hospital in which she was working was ordered to be evacuated to India on the approach of the Japanese. The ship was bombed and Janet, after two fearful days on a raft, was rescued by some fishermen from Sumatra. But Sumatra was already in Japanese hands. Her adventures had in fact barely begun. Once sentenced to be a "Japanese comfort girl", once to be executed by a firing squad, her courage, resourcefulness--and usefulness to her captors--enabled her to survive until the return of the British. Now, at thirty-five, she is Matron of Singapore St. Andrews Hospital.

Genres: Biography, Memoir, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learnt things about a way of life I knew nothing about and got a new perspective on Japanese occupation in WWII. What a strong woman!

[Ruby Jusoh · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Review) Sold for Silver by Janet Lim. I enjoyed reading this so much, which was a surprise considering it is a non-fiction World War II narrative. It is a straightforward memoir, no overdramatic monologues and a good documentation of the war from the perspective of a nurse. My rating is 4/5.
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What is special and important about the author’s narrative is that she was lived in 3 countries - born in China, sold in Singapore and captured in Indonesia during the Japanese occupation. Her childhood was tragic with familial separation - I know not if she ever got reunited with her biological family. In Singapore, she was sold as a household slave and abused. Thankfully, white missionary ladies found her and placed her in a convent school, providing her with a solid education. She then became a nurse as she got older. WWII happened and she experienced bombing, imprisonment and worst, rape attempts by the soldiers. However, she survived them all and remembered mostly the kindness of those who helped her. After the war ended, she became the first Asian matron at a renowned Singaporean hospital.
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The book itself was written in 1958, a long time ago. It took me a day reading her fascinating story. One can sense Janet Lim’s spirit and strong sense of survival. The occupiers broke her a few times but she never gave up, doing her best. Despite being a prisoner under the Japanese control, she wanted to work and be useful to other people. Malayans and Sumatrans of different races helped each other, sacrificing their own safety to save lives. She did not generalise races with stereotypes. For her, there were good people and bad people in any race. She met good and bad Malays, Chinese and even Japanese. What was important to her is that there was kindness everywhere in times of crisis. Inspiring, I tell you.
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Thank you, @monsoonbooks for publishing this wonderful memoir. I bought my secondhand copy from @bookgila.my . How I wish more Southeast Asians discover and read this important historical text!

[Lynda · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very personal account of a Chinese girl, sold into slavery as a young girl in Singapore. Her story takes place in Singapore and Malaya during the war. It's okay, but I would have liked some kind of epilogue to see how things turned out -- she makes reference to meeting some of the people in the story after the war, but then the books ends just after the end of the war, and I would haven liked to have some questions I had about some events explained.

[Ian Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

An autobiography of a woman who lived under three regimes: Traditionalist China, British Empire and Japanese Empire. Her impoverished widow mother sold her to be a household servant to a Singapore merchant. These contracts were made illegal by the British administration, and she was taken into a Christian missionary school, later training as a nurse. Briefly an army nurse, after capture by the Japanese and an attempt to force her to be a mistress for senior japanese with trial as a spy after her refusal, she became an industrial nurse in Indonesia at a strategic japanese-run works. So, an adventurous story. One thing which stood out for me, was when notified of her impending execution as a spy for America she made a last request that it should be for China. An interesting feminine viewpoint on the societies, not one society, in which she lived.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely, sweet book - simply and straightforwardly written. It is the account of a rather intrepid Chinese girl, Janet Lim, who survives being 'sold for silver' (ie. into slavery), being cornered by wolves, dreadful bomb attacks, a torpedoed ship, and not to mention randy Japanese officers, among other hair-raising escapades, all before the age of about 18! The novel was published in 1958, and I was lucky enough to unknowingly order a first edition with a fabulous original dustjacket from Amazon marketplace - for 1p ! I believe Janet Lim is still alive, probably about 90 years old, and now living in Australia ....

[Wisteria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating account of a former slave girl, turned nurse; who has lived through the regimes of pre-modern China, imperial Japan as well as modern Singapore. She has also written vividly about her experience as a survivor of a ship that the Japanese had bombed, her flight to safety to Sumatra, her experience of being interned there and her close shave with becoming a comfort woman. This woman is remarkable and the book greatly interests me for the simple and personal way in which it was written.

[Cess Que · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an autobiography. That fact alone will strike a string in your heart. She had a very unfortunate childhood but how she rises from the ashes is something to read about. The delivery is simple, but you will hear the author's voice when you read it. It's a very personal account, how brave is Janet for being able to share her story to the world.

[Fatma · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love the way Ms. Lim told her story. slowly, like the way a grandmother would tell a granddaughter. it's also the first novel that tells a little about indonesia during japan occupation, through the eyes of a chinese that i read.

[Carmelita Oosthuizen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a true story about a girl sold into slavery in 1932 in Singapore. The contrast between her life before and after this event is sometimes very sad. The book is not about her life as a slave but her life as a whole from her childhood through WW11.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's an important true story, but not written in a captivating way. I plowed my way through it and handed it off.

[Erich Sysak · Rating 4 out of 5]

"An honest and compelling autobiography set during WW2 in Singapore. An inspiration."

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting story. It isn't necessarily a classic with regard to the writing story, but it is a succinct, matter-of-fact telling of a hard life.

[Julz · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing tale of survival in the midst of slavery and the Second World War.