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The Last Bird of Paradise
"Aislinn Givens leaves a settled life in Manhattan for an unsettled life in Singapore. That painting radiates mystery and longing. So does Clifford Garstang's vivid and simmering novel, The Last Bird of Paradise." –John Dalton, author of Heaven Lake and The Inverted Forest
Two women, nearly a century apart, seek to rebuild their lives when they reluctantly leave their homelands. Arriving in Singapore, they find romance in a tropical paradise, but also find they haven't left behind the dangers that caused them to flee.
In the aftermath of 9/11 and haunted by the specter of terrorism, Aislinn Givens leaves her New York law practice and joins her husband in Southeast Asia when he takes a job there. Seeking to establish herself in a local law firm, Aislinn begins to understand the historic resentment of foreigners who have exploited the region for centuries. Learning about the turmoil of Singapore's colonial period, she acquires several paintings done by an English artist during World War I that she believes are a warning to her. The artist, Elizabeth Pennington, tells her own tumultuous story through diary entries that come to an end when the war reaches the colony with catastrophic results. In the present, Aislinn and her husband learn tragically that terrorism takes many shapes when they are ensnared by local political upheaval and corruption.
In a lyrical blend of historical and contemporary drama, The Last Bird of Paradise explores the consequences of power imbalances-both domestic and geopolitical, against a lush, tropical backdrop. Clifford Garstang, author of the award-winning novel Oliver's Travels, once again draws on his decades of experience in Asia to tell an unforgettable story of romantic intrigue.
Two women, nearly a century apart, seek to rebuild their lives when they reluctantly leave their homelands. Arriving in Singapore, they find romance in a tropical paradise, but also find they haven't left behind the dangers that caused them to flee.
In the aftermath of 9/11 and haunted by the specter of terrorism, Aislinn Givens leaves her New York law practice and joins her husband in Southeast Asia when he takes a job there. Seeking to establish herself in a local law firm, Aislinn begins to understand the historic resentment of foreigners who have exploited the region for centuries. Learning about the turmoil of Singapore's colonial period, she acquires several paintings done by an English artist during World War I that she believes are a warning to her. The artist, Elizabeth Pennington, tells her own tumultuous story through diary entries that come to an end when the war reaches the colony with catastrophic results. In the present, Aislinn and her husband learn tragically that terrorism takes many shapes when they are ensnared by local political upheaval and corruption.
In a lyrical blend of historical and contemporary drama, The Last Bird of Paradise explores the consequences of power imbalances-both domestic and geopolitical, against a lush, tropical backdrop. Clifford Garstang, author of the award-winning novel Oliver's Travels, once again draws on his decades of experience in Asia to tell an unforgettable story of romantic intrigue.
- GenresFiction
341 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 22, 2024
40 people are currently reading
1093 people want to read
About the author
Clifford Garstang
16 books378 followersClifford Garstang is the author of three novels: THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE (forthcoming, 2024), OLIVER’S TRAVELS, and THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY. He is also the author of three story collections: WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW (winner of the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction), IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY, and HOUSE OF THE ANCIENTS AND OTHER STORIES. He is the co-founder and former editor of PRIME NUMBER MAGAZINE and the editor of the three-volume anthology series, EVERYWHERE STORIES: SHORT FICTION FROM A SMALL PLANET. A former international lawyer with a prominent US law firm and the World Bank, Garstang earned a BA from Northwestern University, an MA (English) and a JD from Indiana University, an MPA (International Development) from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and an MFA (Creative Writing) from Queens University of Charlotte.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 14, 2024
Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE by Clifford Garstang is a captivating dual timeline mash-up of mystery, suspense, romance, and political thriller featuring two expat women, a century apart who end up in the tropical paradise of Singapore linked by compelling paintings produced by one of the women that appear to come to life. The story intricately weaves together the historical timelines of an artist, Elizabeth Pennington leaving 1915 England behind and a present-day corporate lawyer, Aislinn Givens leaving post 9/11 New York with her husband.
This is a sweeping, beautifully written book that kept me entranced from beginning to end. Both protagonists could walk right off the page, they are so fully developed and believable. Singapore comes to life in both past and present with not only its cultural history and lush beauty, but also its colonization and political upheavals. This story covers many difficult issues; personal, social, and political with a narrative prose that is both thought-provoking and riveting.
I highly recommend this spellbinding story.
THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE by Clifford Garstang is a captivating dual timeline mash-up of mystery, suspense, romance, and political thriller featuring two expat women, a century apart who end up in the tropical paradise of Singapore linked by compelling paintings produced by one of the women that appear to come to life. The story intricately weaves together the historical timelines of an artist, Elizabeth Pennington leaving 1915 England behind and a present-day corporate lawyer, Aislinn Givens leaving post 9/11 New York with her husband.
This is a sweeping, beautifully written book that kept me entranced from beginning to end. Both protagonists could walk right off the page, they are so fully developed and believable. Singapore comes to life in both past and present with not only its cultural history and lush beauty, but also its colonization and political upheavals. This story covers many difficult issues; personal, social, and political with a narrative prose that is both thought-provoking and riveting.
I highly recommend this spellbinding story.
January 5, 2024
I wrote it, and I'm really proud of it. Here is what a few great writers said about it:
I really enjoyed this fascinating novel by Clifford Garstang, who brings his experience as an attorney in Singapore to enrich a story of two women, a century apart, living parallel lives, linked by artwork that appears to come alive. Part history, part romance, part corporate intrigue, The Last Bird of Paradise is well written and propulsive—I didn’t want to put it down!
~Daphne Kalotay, author of The Archivists
In evocative and authoritative prose, The Last Bird of Paradise, tells a compelling story of two women who travel to Singapore not of their own volition and a century apart. Garstang’s sympathetic imagination transports us in the manner of my favorite kind of fiction – that which convinces the reader of setting and character not because of the author’s resemblance to the protagonist but because the author is a virtuoso shapeshifter and spell weaver. ~Robin Hemley, author of Oblivion: An After Autobiography and Borderline Citizen: Dispatches from the Outskirts of Nationhood
Aislinn Givens leaves a settled life in Manhattan for an unsettled life in Singapore. But that’s only part of a story that tracks back and forth over the span of a century and keeps returning to a vibrant painting. That painting radiates mystery and longing. So does Clifford Garstang’s vivid and simmering novel, The Last Bird of Paradise. ~John Dalton, author of Heaven Lake and The Inverted Forest
A feast of a novel, Clifford Garstang’s The Last Bird of Paradise mesmerizes with its story of two expat women who find themselves relocated to Singapore because of the men in their lives. One woman is an artist, the other a lawyer. A century separates them. In stories historical and personal, Garstang weaves mystery, love, and explosive politics, rendering in high relief the uncanny ways in which women call to one another across time. ~Elaine Neil Orr, author of Swimming Between Worlds
I really enjoyed this fascinating novel by Clifford Garstang, who brings his experience as an attorney in Singapore to enrich a story of two women, a century apart, living parallel lives, linked by artwork that appears to come alive. Part history, part romance, part corporate intrigue, The Last Bird of Paradise is well written and propulsive—I didn’t want to put it down!
~Daphne Kalotay, author of The Archivists
In evocative and authoritative prose, The Last Bird of Paradise, tells a compelling story of two women who travel to Singapore not of their own volition and a century apart. Garstang’s sympathetic imagination transports us in the manner of my favorite kind of fiction – that which convinces the reader of setting and character not because of the author’s resemblance to the protagonist but because the author is a virtuoso shapeshifter and spell weaver. ~Robin Hemley, author of Oblivion: An After Autobiography and Borderline Citizen: Dispatches from the Outskirts of Nationhood
Aislinn Givens leaves a settled life in Manhattan for an unsettled life in Singapore. But that’s only part of a story that tracks back and forth over the span of a century and keeps returning to a vibrant painting. That painting radiates mystery and longing. So does Clifford Garstang’s vivid and simmering novel, The Last Bird of Paradise. ~John Dalton, author of Heaven Lake and The Inverted Forest
A feast of a novel, Clifford Garstang’s The Last Bird of Paradise mesmerizes with its story of two expat women who find themselves relocated to Singapore because of the men in their lives. One woman is an artist, the other a lawyer. A century separates them. In stories historical and personal, Garstang weaves mystery, love, and explosive politics, rendering in high relief the uncanny ways in which women call to one another across time. ~Elaine Neil Orr, author of Swimming Between Worlds
December 10, 2023
The Last Bird of Paradise stares unblinkingly at the third-rail issues that fill our lives with conflict: migration and colonialism, political upheaval and corporate interests, family strife and second marriage dynamics. Two time periods are cleverly interwoven as our protagonist Aislinn Givens uproots her comfy Manhattan existence to Singapore, where two tales a hundred years apart reach a fevered pitch. Part mystery, part historical, part suspense, Garstang wraps it all in a literary prose that weaves a spell for our unsettling times.
August 16, 2024
The story follows two women, but almost 100 years separates them. They both move to Singapore but not by choice, leaving everything they know behind. Aislinn leaves New York shortly after 9/11, and Elizabeth leaves Liverpool before World War 1. Both women face turmoil and upheaval and show a strength of character that helps them to deal with whatever life throws at them.
The book is beautifully written in such a way that you feel part of the story. The descriptions have a way of drawing you into the smells and sights of Singapore. I was captivated by both timelines and the parallels between Elizabeth and Aislinn, despite the passage of time. The characters and story were really well developed.
The author interweaves their stories and tackles powerful themes such as colonialism, capitalism, women's rights, and terrorism to name a few. I loved that we got to see these themes past and present and how, despite times changing, the lasting impact lingers on. I couldn't put it down.
With thanks to Black Coffee Book Tours (Henry ROI) and the author for providing a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion, which I'm leaving voluntarily.
The book is beautifully written in such a way that you feel part of the story. The descriptions have a way of drawing you into the smells and sights of Singapore. I was captivated by both timelines and the parallels between Elizabeth and Aislinn, despite the passage of time. The characters and story were really well developed.
The author interweaves their stories and tackles powerful themes such as colonialism, capitalism, women's rights, and terrorism to name a few. I loved that we got to see these themes past and present and how, despite times changing, the lasting impact lingers on. I couldn't put it down.
With thanks to Black Coffee Book Tours (Henry ROI) and the author for providing a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion, which I'm leaving voluntarily.
April 19, 2024
The novels and stories of Clifford Garstang consistently reinforce his standing as an author of unique talent and imagination. Garstang's latest book,
The Last Bird of Paradise,
adds to that reputation an intense story of identity, intrigue, love, and displacement. The book's protagonists, the modern-day lawyer Aislinn Givens and the early 20th-century artist Elizabeth (Lizzie) Pennington, occupy worlds of both contrast and conformity. We meet Aislinn, the young second wife of a New York banker, in post-9/11 New York City, just before she moves under some duress from her husband to Singapore. We encounter Lizzie in 1915 in the midst of the Great War as she sails on a steamer set from London to Singapore, escaping both war-torn Europe and a difficult family life in England. A connection across the century is forged between the two protagonists through Lizzie's paintings, which have survived the years to hang both in a Singaporean home and in a shop, where Aislinn buys two of them. Aislinn's reaction when viewing the paintings borders on the supernatural, and provides much of the energy driving the narrative. Through the course of the parallel narratives of Lizzie and Aislinn, loves and friendships are born and broken, characters engage in fraud and extortion, and the reader discovers another connection across the century, this one set in bloodlines. Garstang's writing in this book is meditative and heavy on exposition, the right choice to this reader's eye for the evocative and searing detail needed to convey both the beauty and mystery of a place like Singapore and the violence and haunting impact of a historic tragedy like 9/11. As you can probably sense, this is a sweeping narrative that touches on issues of race, class, colonialism, and cultural and economic disparity. But under Garstang's practiced hand, it does so without ever straying from the deeply human desires and conflicts of the women he paints so beautifully into the center of his voluminous portrait.
August 16, 2024
A beautifully crafted story outlining the lives of two women separated by one hundred years, but joined by their similarities. Both find themselves in Singapore, isolated and out of their depth, but are captivated by its beauty, its art and nature, and growing romances in the devastating heat that pervades everything. As terrorism and unsettled political and religious climates backdrop both timelines, the women find themselves in perilous situations, but finally manage to find their own way from lost to found. I couldn't put it down. #thelastbirdofparadise #cliffordgarstang #thebookfolks
June 17, 2024
I just finished reading Clifford Garstang’s provocative new novel, The Last Bird of Paradise.
The novel tells two distinct stories. The two protagonists are both women, always a risky strategy for a male author, but Garstang manages to pull it off with style. These two stories will engage the reader and keep him/her turning pages until the very last.
Separated by a century, one woman is in rebellion against her traditional place in the 19th-century British middle class, the other a contemporary American, career-focused New York corporate attorney—a woman whose ideal of a modern women’s fulfillment is securely shackled to contemporary capitalist values— together form the historical bookends of the women’s movement.
Garstang's narrative unfolds in exotic Singapore, adding a layer of cultural richness to the story. The author deftly juxtaposes old-style 19th-century British Colonialism against today’s American equivalent, enriching the narrative with a thought-provoking depth. A highly recommended read.
Richard W. Wise: Author: The Dawning: 31,000 BC
The novel tells two distinct stories. The two protagonists are both women, always a risky strategy for a male author, but Garstang manages to pull it off with style. These two stories will engage the reader and keep him/her turning pages until the very last.
Separated by a century, one woman is in rebellion against her traditional place in the 19th-century British middle class, the other a contemporary American, career-focused New York corporate attorney—a woman whose ideal of a modern women’s fulfillment is securely shackled to contemporary capitalist values— together form the historical bookends of the women’s movement.
Garstang's narrative unfolds in exotic Singapore, adding a layer of cultural richness to the story. The author deftly juxtaposes old-style 19th-century British Colonialism against today’s American equivalent, enriching the narrative with a thought-provoking depth. A highly recommended read.
Richard W. Wise: Author: The Dawning: 31,000 BC
April 4, 2025
I appreciated the political themes about colonialism and the setting in Singapore. I probably would give this 4 stars but I didn’t like Aislinn at all. The other woman, Lizzie, was likeable. And the stories tie together at the end which I appreciate.
February 26, 2024
Congrats on your new book Cliff! I’ve loved everything of yours that I’ve read - especially Oliver’s Travels! Going back to catch up on a few I’ve missed :)
December 4, 2024
The Last Bird of Paradise by Clifford Garstang
A big thank you to @henryroi.pr for the eCopy of this novel.
This is an interesting mix of historical fiction and contemporary literature all set against the exotic backdrop of Singapore.
The author writes convincingly about the setting & situations and brings the characters to life very quickly which is not easy as he's chosen two women set nearly a century apart as his main characters.
Aislinn is a New York lawyer. Her focus is on her career. She's the second wife of Liam so there's instantly an interesting dynamic between her and her grown up step-children and older husband.
Aislinn is coming to terms with the trauma of the events of 9/11 and the feel of New York has changed. She describes it as no longer being its own bubble separate from the world.
Suddenly it's sprung on her that her husband has a job offer in Singapore and he's already decided to move.
She has to make the decision to put her relationship above her career and start a new life.
Back in 1914 it's the outbreak of World War I and Elizabeth has been put on a streamer ship in Liverpool, England, en route to Singapore to live with her Uncle. Lizzie tells us her story in diary extracts. Initially annoyed at being sent away but the dangers from the news in Europe convince her to give life as an artist in Singapore a go.
It's her artwork that acts as a connection between Lizzie and Aislinn.
The narrative skillfully changes between characters and time periods and the worlds of art and law. There's mystery, love, drama, politics and the impact of colonialism on Singapore and the attitude towards foreigners.
There's a lot going on. The writing is fluid and realistic and keeps the pages turning. There are big themes but it's easy to read.
A big thank you to @henryroi.pr for the eCopy of this novel.
This is an interesting mix of historical fiction and contemporary literature all set against the exotic backdrop of Singapore.
The author writes convincingly about the setting & situations and brings the characters to life very quickly which is not easy as he's chosen two women set nearly a century apart as his main characters.
Aislinn is a New York lawyer. Her focus is on her career. She's the second wife of Liam so there's instantly an interesting dynamic between her and her grown up step-children and older husband.
Aislinn is coming to terms with the trauma of the events of 9/11 and the feel of New York has changed. She describes it as no longer being its own bubble separate from the world.
Suddenly it's sprung on her that her husband has a job offer in Singapore and he's already decided to move.
She has to make the decision to put her relationship above her career and start a new life.
Back in 1914 it's the outbreak of World War I and Elizabeth has been put on a streamer ship in Liverpool, England, en route to Singapore to live with her Uncle. Lizzie tells us her story in diary extracts. Initially annoyed at being sent away but the dangers from the news in Europe convince her to give life as an artist in Singapore a go.
It's her artwork that acts as a connection between Lizzie and Aislinn.
The narrative skillfully changes between characters and time periods and the worlds of art and law. There's mystery, love, drama, politics and the impact of colonialism on Singapore and the attitude towards foreigners.
There's a lot going on. The writing is fluid and realistic and keeps the pages turning. There are big themes but it's easy to read.
August 15, 2024
This novel is a rich mix of historical and contemporary narratives that effortlessly transports the reader between two distinct yet intertwined timelines. The writting is sophisticated and flows super well, making this a fast paced page-turner, and showing the talent of the author as a story-teller.
The story follows Aislinn Givens, who leaves her secure life in Manhattan post-9/11 to join her husband in Singapore. Her journey of self-discovery is paralleled by the experiences of Elizabeth Pennington, an English artist who arrives in Singapore during World War I. The connection between these two women, separated by nearly a century, is beautifully drawn through Elizabeth’s haunting diary entries and evocative paintings.
The portrayal of Singapore captures the city’s lush, tropical backdrop and its complex colonial history. The novel speaks on the themes of power imbalances, both domestic and geopolitical, providing a profound commentary on the lingering effects of imperialism and the ongoing struggle with terrorism.
What I found particularly rich is how the author seamlessly integrates historical details with the personal struggles of his characters.
5 stars!
The story follows Aislinn Givens, who leaves her secure life in Manhattan post-9/11 to join her husband in Singapore. Her journey of self-discovery is paralleled by the experiences of Elizabeth Pennington, an English artist who arrives in Singapore during World War I. The connection between these two women, separated by nearly a century, is beautifully drawn through Elizabeth’s haunting diary entries and evocative paintings.
The portrayal of Singapore captures the city’s lush, tropical backdrop and its complex colonial history. The novel speaks on the themes of power imbalances, both domestic and geopolitical, providing a profound commentary on the lingering effects of imperialism and the ongoing struggle with terrorism.
What I found particularly rich is how the author seamlessly integrates historical details with the personal struggles of his characters.
5 stars!
January 5, 2025
A slow-burn literary page-turner set mostly in contemporary and early 20th century Singapore, The Last Bird of Paradise draws one in with a delightfully conflicted close interiority, reading like an updated version of Henry James or perhaps Ian McEwan. The prose is clear and lyrical and the story is beautifully executed moment by moment. I much admire Garstang’s ability to construct scenes; the dialogue is pitch perfect, as is the narrated interiority of the two highly sympathetic protagonists. There are no slow spots and plenty of suspense; as the novel goes on, one becomes more and more implicated if the fates of Garstang’s well-drawn characters, and more and more enraptured by the story as the linkages between the two timelines become ever more apparent.
If you’re looking for an emotionally engaging novel, and particularly if you’ve been to Singapore or are planning a trip there and want to some quality hours immersed in the place and its history, The Last Bird of Paradise is a must-read. Highly recommended!
If you’re looking for an emotionally engaging novel, and particularly if you’ve been to Singapore or are planning a trip there and want to some quality hours immersed in the place and its history, The Last Bird of Paradise is a must-read. Highly recommended!
August 29, 2024
Two women removed to Singapore for a new safe life.
Elizabeth moves from London, not only escape the war but her "colourful" life. It is hoped that time with her uncle may help establish her and her families' reputation.
Meanwhile Aislinn Givens is a successful lawyer in well known firm. On the morning of Sept 11th she looks out the window to see the towers collapse. Her horror is turned into hysterics as she cannot find her husband. Shortly after she returns home and comes in covered with smoke and ash. He has to get away from USA and find somewhere safe. Hee husband gets a job that he won't paaw up, so Aislinn gives up everything she has worked for ri be with him.
During her time in Singapore, she finds herself drawn to numerous paintings by the same author. She feels they are are trying to warn her about something. But are they connected by more than one thing??
Beautifully written and intriguing story. Packed full of mystery to keep reading even when you're way too tired. Unread the prequel to this a few weeks ago and loved it. This is just as good. Really strong characters. Roll on the sequel!!
Elizabeth moves from London, not only escape the war but her "colourful" life. It is hoped that time with her uncle may help establish her and her families' reputation.
Meanwhile Aislinn Givens is a successful lawyer in well known firm. On the morning of Sept 11th she looks out the window to see the towers collapse. Her horror is turned into hysterics as she cannot find her husband. Shortly after she returns home and comes in covered with smoke and ash. He has to get away from USA and find somewhere safe. Hee husband gets a job that he won't paaw up, so Aislinn gives up everything she has worked for ri be with him.
During her time in Singapore, she finds herself drawn to numerous paintings by the same author. She feels they are are trying to warn her about something. But are they connected by more than one thing??
Beautifully written and intriguing story. Packed full of mystery to keep reading even when you're way too tired. Unread the prequel to this a few weeks ago and loved it. This is just as good. Really strong characters. Roll on the sequel!!
August 31, 2024
Cliff Garstang's THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE is a fast and absorbing read. Garstang paints a wonderful and believable story of two disgruntled feminists uprooted from comfortable lives in the West and shipped to Singapore. Although separated by a century, a modern lawyer’s appreciation and curiosity for a WWI-era painter connects them, and the two women’s lives run roughly parallel. Both hold themselves in high regard and value others who reward them financially, sexually, and by affirming their mastery of their craft. Garstang’s depictions of early and modern Singapore’s physical and cultural settings are stunning, and his insights into the tensions and competition in the legal and art worlds reflect the author’s solid understanding of those fields. While I did not see any redemption in Garstang’s characters, male or female, his depictions remained true to their natures and riveting.
August 20, 2024
This is a lovely, dual timeline story about life in Singapore, over 100 years apart. Aislinn's modern day story, set against the backdrop of 9/11 was interesting, but I was absolutely fascinated by Elizabeth's story in 1918, it definitely had me gripped. I needed to know why she was sent away! But my gosh was Liam a vile man. I was desperate for Aislinn to realise and just tell him to do one!
I love how the stories came together with Aislinn buying Elizabeth's paintings. I felt as though they were friends, just 100 years apart. The historical and political elements were also really interesting to read about.
I love how the stories came together with Aislinn buying Elizabeth's paintings. I felt as though they were friends, just 100 years apart. The historical and political elements were also really interesting to read about.
June 13, 2025
A beautifully layered and emotionally rich novel, The Last Bird of Paradise swept me away from the very first page. Clifford Garstang masterfully intertwines past and present through the voices of two unforgettable women; Aislinn and Elizabeth, each seeking hope and healing in the vibrant, haunting landscape of Singapore.
With exquisite prose and powerful insight, this book is not just a story of escape and discovery, it's a deeply human tale of love, resilience, and the shadows history casts on our present. I couldn’t put it down. A true literary gem.
✨Highly recommended!✨
With exquisite prose and powerful insight, this book is not just a story of escape and discovery, it's a deeply human tale of love, resilience, and the shadows history casts on our present. I couldn’t put it down. A true literary gem.
✨Highly recommended!✨
April 20, 2024
Garstang weaves a story about two young women, an artist and a lawyer, living in Singapore about one hundred years apart. The braid tightens while unfolding intrigues involving characters motivated by the usual culprits: money, power, success, and sexual desire. Perhaps because much of the histories and settings are real, the blend of fiction and non-fiction prompted me to ask: can the past speak to the present, and if so, to what effect? A well-crafted. engaging, and thought-provoking read.
August 16, 2024
Five stars for this gripping, smoothly written novel of destinies over time intertwined with tragic global events, and brought together in an intriguing painting in Singapore.
On a personal note, I greatly appreciate the research or real life experience in the author's accurate portrayal of working in a law firm; I trust the rest of the details in this book are equally reliable.
On a personal note, I greatly appreciate the research or real life experience in the author's accurate portrayal of working in a law firm; I trust the rest of the details in this book are equally reliable.
May 4, 2025
The Last Bird of Paradise is a wordsmith's masterpiece, crafted in resonant prose. Clifford Garstang knows what he writes, and his extensive research and personal background are evident in this book. The parallel storylines guide the reader on a rich and fascinating tour of Singapore amid politically turbulent times, matched only by the turbulence in the souls of Garstang’s troubled characters.
September 5, 2025
The Last Bird of Paradise weaves history, travel, art and intrigue into a seamless story unlike any I’ve read. I found the history and culture of Singapore fascinating, and the rollercoaster of a plot had me zig-zagging through the house to track down the book wherever I’d last left it. Now that I’ve finished it, I miss the characters and their lush, disorienting world already.
August 16, 2025
Really enjoyed learning about some of the early history of Singapore with the dual timelines in the book, which expertly intertwined history and more recent events with the story of the two female protagonists
October 21, 2025
The story revolves around two women, almost a hundred years apart, and their lives when they go to Singapore, not of their own choosing. In addition to the two women's compelling lives, the information about Singapore was also intriguing.
February 10, 2025
I was immediately drawn into the lives of two very strong women. One navigating the aftermath of 9/11 in NYC and the other an Englishwoman heading to Singapore at the start of WWI. The dual storylines were seamlessly interwoven. In depth character development as well as the authors first hand knowledge of Singapore brought it to life. Thanks so much for taking me on a journey to Singapore. It was adventure I didn’t know I needed but thoroughly enjoyed!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews