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The Light Between Us
The Time Traveler's Wife meets Crazy Rich Asians in this speculative romance set against Singapore's tumultuous past. Immersed in Southeast Asian history, time-travel, and an impossible love story, The Light Between Us is perfect for readers of literary historical fiction and modern romantasy fans alike.
At work one night, photography archivist Charlie Sze-Toh receives a misdirected letter from Wang Tian Wei, a 1920s colonial era Chinese photographer. Through a mysterious digital folder and photographic plates, a conversation is sparked, leading to a romance that spans lifetimes.
In his time, Tian Wei scours a turbulent Singapore for his missing friend, Aiko, leading him to the perfumed chambers of a Japanese brothel. Meanwhile, in the modern day, Charlie struggles against a family dynamic dominated by her stepmother, a manipulative matriarch who uses family secrets as bargaining chips. Communication starts to become difficult and Tian Wei’s letters are tinged by the increasing threat of Japanese Occupation. Will one last fate-defying letter from Charlie allow Tian Wei to keep their love alive?
Inspired by her research into Singaporean historical archives, Elaine Chiew weaves Chinese mythology and early 20th century colonial Singapore into this speculative epic.
At work one night, photography archivist Charlie Sze-Toh receives a misdirected letter from Wang Tian Wei, a 1920s colonial era Chinese photographer. Through a mysterious digital folder and photographic plates, a conversation is sparked, leading to a romance that spans lifetimes.
In his time, Tian Wei scours a turbulent Singapore for his missing friend, Aiko, leading him to the perfumed chambers of a Japanese brothel. Meanwhile, in the modern day, Charlie struggles against a family dynamic dominated by her stepmother, a manipulative matriarch who uses family secrets as bargaining chips. Communication starts to become difficult and Tian Wei’s letters are tinged by the increasing threat of Japanese Occupation. Will one last fate-defying letter from Charlie allow Tian Wei to keep their love alive?
Inspired by her research into Singaporean historical archives, Elaine Chiew weaves Chinese mythology and early 20th century colonial Singapore into this speculative epic.
375 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 15, 2024
17 people are currently reading
283 people want to read
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June 26, 2024
The Light Between Us by Elaine Chiew
Between 2.5 and 3 out of 5 stars
I feel so bad for my rating. But if I compare this book to other books I gave a full 3 stars, this one rates a little below those. I will round it up to three stars on Goodreads. Because it is closer to three stars than two.
When I read the premise of this book I was completely hooked. A love story that spans space and time. I expected an epic journey full of love, pain and longing. But while I loved the premise and certain set ups in the book, it failed on the execution. I not once felt their love or a true yearning to want to be together. Some sentences did promise that. But when you read the entire paragraph the feelings just weren't there. And that was such a shame and such a missed opportunity.
In this novel we follow Tian Wei and Charlie. One lives in 2019 and the other in 1920. They find out they are able to write to each other. And the more they write the longer it takes for the letters to reach the other one.
The author does explain the science behind it a little bit. It has to do with quantum entanglement. But in a way I did not necessarily miss an easier explanation. But an explanation that I felt in my bones.
Two characters go missing during the story. And while at first it was exciting to find out what happened. They just suddenly seemed to pop up without any explanation. And then one got missing again.
It all felt so confusing and rushed and I just couldn't connect with the characters at all. It was supposed to be an epic love story, and it just wasn't in there.
But I do want to emphasize this isn't a bad book per se. I think it didn't resonate with me personally. I can completely understand that it will resonate with others way more. I just need to be able to like, understand and feel what the characters are feeling in order to enjoy a book.
And I want to point out that there are some gorgeous quotes in this book!
These three are a few of my favorites:
♥ What is love? What is longing? Does it travel in wide wavelengths and high amplitudes? Does it displace as much as it fills up any vacuum?
***
♥ Love requires no proof, yet leaves traces and residue.
***
♥ What is real isn't always physical. Our past prepares us for all the love we are able to receive in the future. There once was someone who opened up the pastures of my heart and prepared me for the return of wound and fire and a kind of love that slips time and boundaries.
I really think this book has a lot of promise. I think if it was edited differently I might have been able to actually feel what was written down. So I do want to ask people to give it a chance and see if it reaches your heart.
So my overall rating is between 2.5 and 3 stars out of 5.
Between 2.5 and 3 out of 5 stars
I feel so bad for my rating. But if I compare this book to other books I gave a full 3 stars, this one rates a little below those. I will round it up to three stars on Goodreads. Because it is closer to three stars than two.
When I read the premise of this book I was completely hooked. A love story that spans space and time. I expected an epic journey full of love, pain and longing. But while I loved the premise and certain set ups in the book, it failed on the execution. I not once felt their love or a true yearning to want to be together. Some sentences did promise that. But when you read the entire paragraph the feelings just weren't there. And that was such a shame and such a missed opportunity.
In this novel we follow Tian Wei and Charlie. One lives in 2019 and the other in 1920. They find out they are able to write to each other. And the more they write the longer it takes for the letters to reach the other one.
The author does explain the science behind it a little bit. It has to do with quantum entanglement. But in a way I did not necessarily miss an easier explanation. But an explanation that I felt in my bones.
Two characters go missing during the story. And while at first it was exciting to find out what happened. They just suddenly seemed to pop up without any explanation. And then one got missing again.
It all felt so confusing and rushed and I just couldn't connect with the characters at all. It was supposed to be an epic love story, and it just wasn't in there.
But I do want to emphasize this isn't a bad book per se. I think it didn't resonate with me personally. I can completely understand that it will resonate with others way more. I just need to be able to like, understand and feel what the characters are feeling in order to enjoy a book.
And I want to point out that there are some gorgeous quotes in this book!
These three are a few of my favorites:
♥ What is love? What is longing? Does it travel in wide wavelengths and high amplitudes? Does it displace as much as it fills up any vacuum?
***
♥ Love requires no proof, yet leaves traces and residue.
***
♥ What is real isn't always physical. Our past prepares us for all the love we are able to receive in the future. There once was someone who opened up the pastures of my heart and prepared me for the return of wound and fire and a kind of love that slips time and boundaries.
I really think this book has a lot of promise. I think if it was edited differently I might have been able to actually feel what was written down. So I do want to ask people to give it a chance and see if it reaches your heart.
So my overall rating is between 2.5 and 3 stars out of 5.
April 30, 2024
Thanks to netgalley and neem tree press for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book follows charlie in 2019 and tian wei in 1920 singapore as they somehow start up a letter correspondence through space and time, eventually falling in love. Let me tell you this premise had me SWOONING. Star crossed lovers (time crossed lovers?) are my favourite. I don't even like romance, but if there's a ton of mutual pining and lovers fated to never be together, sign. me. up.
But the thing is, i never really believed in charlie and tian wei's love. They hardly seem to really question the way they're suddenly communicating even though they're a 100 years apart (and thinking about the logistics of it all made my brain ache) and they fall in love after pretty much one letter. Call me a cynic, but i didn't buy it. To me, a large part of the story (including their love story, but also many of the 'side quests' as i started calling them) felt like it happened simply for the plot. Charlie and tian wei simply fall in love because that's what the story is about. But there's too little depth behind it. There's no appareny reason for their characters to fall in love, nothing to fall in love with, other than the plot asking for it.
(Warning: spoilers ahead)
Despite the above, i still thought this was enjoyable up until the part where, get this, tian wei travels to the future, takes over the body of charlie's adoptive brother and... they sleep together. There are so many things wrong with this sequence of events that it fully pulled me out of the story, and i ended up skipping a lot afterwards because i just wanted it to be over.
This book follows charlie in 2019 and tian wei in 1920 singapore as they somehow start up a letter correspondence through space and time, eventually falling in love. Let me tell you this premise had me SWOONING. Star crossed lovers (time crossed lovers?) are my favourite. I don't even like romance, but if there's a ton of mutual pining and lovers fated to never be together, sign. me. up.
But the thing is, i never really believed in charlie and tian wei's love. They hardly seem to really question the way they're suddenly communicating even though they're a 100 years apart (and thinking about the logistics of it all made my brain ache) and they fall in love after pretty much one letter. Call me a cynic, but i didn't buy it. To me, a large part of the story (including their love story, but also many of the 'side quests' as i started calling them) felt like it happened simply for the plot. Charlie and tian wei simply fall in love because that's what the story is about. But there's too little depth behind it. There's no appareny reason for their characters to fall in love, nothing to fall in love with, other than the plot asking for it.
(Warning: spoilers ahead)
Despite the above, i still thought this was enjoyable up until the part where, get this, tian wei travels to the future, takes over the body of charlie's adoptive brother and... they sleep together. There are so many things wrong with this sequence of events that it fully pulled me out of the story, and i ended up skipping a lot afterwards because i just wanted it to be over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2024
An enchanting romance that defies time. Set in South East Asia, modern-day photography archivist Charlie Sze-Tah receives a mysterious digital folder, which ignites a conversation with Wang Tian Wei, a photographer from 100 years in the past in the 1920s. Tian Wei is able to pick up the letters through his negatives. The pair have such a strong connection and simultaneously experience similar life difficulties, which bond them. Through photography and light, they are able to experience a unique bond and one fated evening in close proximity. The Light Between Us is a wonderful blend of historical novel, love story, and homage to photography, as well as the perfect read for anyone with an interest in South East Asian literature and history, or with an interest in time travel, and cross dimensional theorem. A unique and captivating novel. #thelightbetweenus #elainechiew #neemtreepress #TheWriteReads
June 25, 2024
The Light Between Us by Elaine Chiew, really is something a bit different. It is set across times in Singapore and has strong romantic, historical and time travel elements. So a bit for everybody really!
The book kicks off in the modern era when Charlie, an archivist, receives a mysterious letter from a colonial era photographer. It then switches between times going back to the 1920s where we meet said photographer as they search for Aiko.
Miraculously Charlie and Tian Wei begin a Lake House style correspondence across time. And romance ensues. The book is written from the POV of both Charlie and Tian Wei and in the 1920s and 2019. I quite liked the writing style, but mostly I liked the general idea for the across time romance and setting.
For me its a solid 4 star read that I would definitely recommend. Thank you TWR and Neem Tree for gifting me a digital copy!
The book kicks off in the modern era when Charlie, an archivist, receives a mysterious letter from a colonial era photographer. It then switches between times going back to the 1920s where we meet said photographer as they search for Aiko.
Miraculously Charlie and Tian Wei begin a Lake House style correspondence across time. And romance ensues. The book is written from the POV of both Charlie and Tian Wei and in the 1920s and 2019. I quite liked the writing style, but mostly I liked the general idea for the across time romance and setting.
For me its a solid 4 star read that I would definitely recommend. Thank you TWR and Neem Tree for gifting me a digital copy!
September 17, 2024
"The light between us" takes places in two times and explores the conection betteween Charlie and Tian Wei that bond to letters but can not be together.
Charlie is an archivist that struggles against a family dynamic, the stepmother that wants to controle everything and expects that Charlie comes to family meetings (Cassandra were the worst, even in the end I couldn't stand her). Tain Wei have a photograh studio and is worried with his missed friend Aiko.
The way this book explores the history of photography, show us that thee are more that images can be memories and facts, was very intresting. Also the writer did an extent research about the history of Singapore and Malasy in Japonese ocupation, the misery of the people that were force to work in the streets and brothels.
I just want that the "time travel" aspect was better explain, I did understand if was because of the digital folder or was some spiritual conection. And I was a little sad with the way things turned out betteween Charlie and Sebastian.
Charlie is an archivist that struggles against a family dynamic, the stepmother that wants to controle everything and expects that Charlie comes to family meetings (Cassandra were the worst, even in the end I couldn't stand her). Tain Wei have a photograh studio and is worried with his missed friend Aiko.
The way this book explores the history of photography, show us that thee are more that images can be memories and facts, was very intresting. Also the writer did an extent research about the history of Singapore and Malasy in Japonese ocupation, the misery of the people that were force to work in the streets and brothels.
I just want that the "time travel" aspect was better explain, I did understand if was because of the digital folder or was some spiritual conection. And I was a little sad with the way things turned out betteween Charlie and Sebastian.
June 18, 2024
The Time Traveler's Wife meets Crazy Rich Asians is a solid comp for this book, but probably not in the way you think. This has the literary writing and the bittersweet love story (yes, love story, not a romance for those hung up on genre definitions) of The Time Traveler's Wife and the family drama of Crazy Rich Asians — but make it historical. Charlie's part of the story is set in recent times, that's true, but most of her and her family's issues are rooted in the past; add a writing style that's introspective, philosophical and character-centered, plus entire letters. Oh, and the fantastical elements of the film The Lake House too.
There's a lot of introspection about photography, love, identity, and relationships. There's talk of things from quantum entanglement to Chinese folklore to being part of a diaspora to the life during the colonial era and the world wars. Through all that is a story of two people who find themselves connected across space and time.
Here are some lines that I bookmarked, as I found them incredibly beautiful and moving:
* This, though, is the predicament of orphans: we want to be loved so badly that we are afraid of our hunger. And so, we draw lines. Lines become fences. Fences provide an emotional husk of protection. Nobody comes in, nobody goes out.
* This is what separation is: a kaleidoscope of emotions from bending one's soul towards that special person on different shores—he in his world, she is in hers, without hope of intersecting, of their feelings being shared. All they have are letters.
* Love is selfish. Love has unintended consequences. Is joy forever thus, half-blighted by guilt and pain?
* The moment after the discovery of the heart's desire is a threshold. Full of infinite possibility. Immediately after a decision is made, the possibilities narrow; that which is accepted becomes fact, that which is refuted falls away and is no more.
* Like a photograph and its negative, the war is won when the truth is blended with a lie. Love is also sin, beauty is also horror, happiness is also tragedy. Why did we ever believe otherwise?
If you like historical fiction or literary fiction or bittersweet love stories grounded in historical events, this might be the perfect book to get lost in!
There's a lot of introspection about photography, love, identity, and relationships. There's talk of things from quantum entanglement to Chinese folklore to being part of a diaspora to the life during the colonial era and the world wars. Through all that is a story of two people who find themselves connected across space and time.
Here are some lines that I bookmarked, as I found them incredibly beautiful and moving:
* This, though, is the predicament of orphans: we want to be loved so badly that we are afraid of our hunger. And so, we draw lines. Lines become fences. Fences provide an emotional husk of protection. Nobody comes in, nobody goes out.
* This is what separation is: a kaleidoscope of emotions from bending one's soul towards that special person on different shores—he in his world, she is in hers, without hope of intersecting, of their feelings being shared. All they have are letters.
* Love is selfish. Love has unintended consequences. Is joy forever thus, half-blighted by guilt and pain?
* The moment after the discovery of the heart's desire is a threshold. Full of infinite possibility. Immediately after a decision is made, the possibilities narrow; that which is accepted becomes fact, that which is refuted falls away and is no more.
* Like a photograph and its negative, the war is won when the truth is blended with a lie. Love is also sin, beauty is also horror, happiness is also tragedy. Why did we ever believe otherwise?
If you like historical fiction or literary fiction or bittersweet love stories grounded in historical events, this might be the perfect book to get lost in!
June 24, 2024
3.5 stars!
(I read this book as part of a blog tour - a huge thank you to TheWriteReads as well as Neem Tree Press and the author for the ebook and for having me on this tour (none of which influenced my review or rating in any way).)
+ Setting: I really like this new-to-me setting! I don’t think I have read any book set in Singapore before, so this was really refreshing! I also liked learning about the 20th century in Singapore, the culture and history, which was really interesting.
+ Dual Timelines: I love everything about time traveling, historical fiction, and dual timelines, and I really liked the way the author brought both the past and the present together!
+ Time Travel: I already mentioned this above, but had to say it again: I LOVE time travel stories, and the author’s very own theory of how this is possible! The idea of a correspondence across time is one that reminded me of a super cool indie book I read a few years ago, and one I really enjoy!
+ The Premise: A love story across time? Lovers (not) meant to be? A love story spanning a hundred years? *swoooon*!!!
+ Writing and Style: I really liked the author’s writing style, it pulled me in from the start and had a very nice flow to it that I enjoyed!
+ Language representation: I loved the representation and mix of English and Malay and Chinese phrases! The glossary at the end would probably be more handy in a physical book, but good to have in the ebook nonetheless!
- Present Tense: I’m not usually a big fan of books written in the present tense - I feel it often sounds awkward to my ‘ears’ and I often have a hard time immersing myself into the story. However, due to the dual timelines I think it was necessary and worked out well in the end.
- Love Story: As much as I am a hopeless romantic and as much as the premise of the story made me swoon, I felt it was a little hard to believe in their love. Don’t get me wrong, not everything in fiction has to make sense or be explained 100%, but I did wish for that proper spark to cross over that would make me really believe in them if that makes sense.
- Number of Characters: I have to admit, when there are too many characters in a book and especially when they are introduced too quickly after one another, I often tend to lose track and get confused, something I felt especially was the case in the timeline of the past here.
- The Ending: I have to say I didn’t see the ending or sequence of events coming, and I felt a bit confused / perhaps also a bit … not necessarily disappointed maybe but just… it wasn’t what I was thinking / hoping would happen, let’s leave it at that.
Overall, I found this book to be an enjoyable and thought-provoking read! I loved the premise of star- / time-crossed lovers, and the letters that kept them connected through time. The rich and detailed history and cultural references were very intriguing, though I preferred the sequences in the present. Although I would have wished for a different outcome / unravelling of events, I would recommend The Light Between Us to all fans of time travel and historical romance stories! 3.5 stars from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
(I read this book as part of a blog tour - a huge thank you to TheWriteReads as well as Neem Tree Press and the author for the ebook and for having me on this tour (none of which influenced my review or rating in any way).)
+ Setting: I really like this new-to-me setting! I don’t think I have read any book set in Singapore before, so this was really refreshing! I also liked learning about the 20th century in Singapore, the culture and history, which was really interesting.
+ Dual Timelines: I love everything about time traveling, historical fiction, and dual timelines, and I really liked the way the author brought both the past and the present together!
+ Time Travel: I already mentioned this above, but had to say it again: I LOVE time travel stories, and the author’s very own theory of how this is possible! The idea of a correspondence across time is one that reminded me of a super cool indie book I read a few years ago, and one I really enjoy!
+ The Premise: A love story across time? Lovers (not) meant to be? A love story spanning a hundred years? *swoooon*!!!
+ Writing and Style: I really liked the author’s writing style, it pulled me in from the start and had a very nice flow to it that I enjoyed!
+ Language representation: I loved the representation and mix of English and Malay and Chinese phrases! The glossary at the end would probably be more handy in a physical book, but good to have in the ebook nonetheless!
- Present Tense: I’m not usually a big fan of books written in the present tense - I feel it often sounds awkward to my ‘ears’ and I often have a hard time immersing myself into the story. However, due to the dual timelines I think it was necessary and worked out well in the end.
- Love Story: As much as I am a hopeless romantic and as much as the premise of the story made me swoon, I felt it was a little hard to believe in their love. Don’t get me wrong, not everything in fiction has to make sense or be explained 100%, but I did wish for that proper spark to cross over that would make me really believe in them if that makes sense.
- Number of Characters: I have to admit, when there are too many characters in a book and especially when they are introduced too quickly after one another, I often tend to lose track and get confused, something I felt especially was the case in the timeline of the past here.
- The Ending: I have to say I didn’t see the ending or sequence of events coming, and I felt a bit confused / perhaps also a bit … not necessarily disappointed maybe but just… it wasn’t what I was thinking / hoping would happen, let’s leave it at that.
Overall, I found this book to be an enjoyable and thought-provoking read! I loved the premise of star- / time-crossed lovers, and the letters that kept them connected through time. The rich and detailed history and cultural references were very intriguing, though I preferred the sequences in the present. Although I would have wished for a different outcome / unravelling of events, I would recommend The Light Between Us to all fans of time travel and historical romance stories! 3.5 stars from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
July 13, 2024
A unique Southeast Asian historical romance. I loved that time and space held little consequence to the romance. The letters that were sent and put into the sorry are beautiful to read, they had an understated nature to them. I also enjoyed the cultural aspects that are explored, particularly the feminism. Throughout there is also the question of what’s truth/reality and this being played with was a great addition to the time/space inconsistencies. Overall a lovely read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.
Read
May 28, 2024As books go, I went in to this warily because I tend not to like WW2 (and adjacent) stories. But I also wanted to read this to support a SEA writer! So ok la #cubatry.
Excellent points:
I loved the writing and the language, the fluidity of moving between English and Malay and Chinese (of various dialects). I felt that it represented us so well. I am pretty much a banana, so I skimmed some of the Chinese phrases (note: I didn't realise there was a glossary at the end until I finished, since I was reading a digital arc), but I felt that Chiew was deft enough in her writing that you could pick up on what it was supposed to mean.
The only confusion I had was probably because of my own muddled language proficiency, where koon sah is apparently a TYPE of old Chinese dressing? I always thought it just meant pyjamas (i.e. koon = sleep, sah = clothes) HAHHAHAH. Also, Tangki as the Chinese (can't recall which dialect) term for the medium being possessed just kept me thinking of the Malay word "tangki", which is like a water tank, but that also makes sense because it's like a vessel kan. LOL
Content warning:
Slight implication of incest because of extended familial relationships, even though they're not blood related.
The setting and plot:
Yeah okay, so one of the reasons I figured I might give it a try is because there is a dual timeline of Charlie in the current day somehow reaching across the past to connect with Tian Wei in the 1920s. Which, I mean, is a cool concept. I liked it in Agnes Ong's Skyping Back in Time. But here...
So everything for Charlie is happening in the span of a few days, and at the longest stretch, maybe a month? But it's happening for Tian Wei over months and years (there's some fancy mathematical theory for this) which... I guess as a reader, I wasn't convinced their rather sporadic letters were enough for them to fall in love. It felt like first one or two letters were like hello who are you what's going on, then bam, oh the numerical-stars-are-aligned instalove.
And then there's a pretty long jump in time for Tian Wei, which (ugh) brings him to the 1940s and WW2, which YEAH. no. But this is a me thing, and also why I haven't read any TTE books (#sorrynotsorry).
Verdict:
If you're a historical fiction fan, especially around SEA WW2 stories, you'll probably love this! If you're a camera & photography nerd, you'll probably also love this! If you bangga Singapura and Malaysia (because come on, they were the same country back in those days) and you love codemixing, you'll also love this!
Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Neem Tree Press via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Excellent points:
I loved the writing and the language, the fluidity of moving between English and Malay and Chinese (of various dialects). I felt that it represented us so well. I am pretty much a banana, so I skimmed some of the Chinese phrases (note: I didn't realise there was a glossary at the end until I finished, since I was reading a digital arc), but I felt that Chiew was deft enough in her writing that you could pick up on what it was supposed to mean.
The only confusion I had was probably because of my own muddled language proficiency, where koon sah is apparently a TYPE of old Chinese dressing? I always thought it just meant pyjamas (i.e. koon = sleep, sah = clothes) HAHHAHAH. Also, Tangki as the Chinese (can't recall which dialect) term for the medium being possessed just kept me thinking of the Malay word "tangki", which is like a water tank, but that also makes sense because it's like a vessel kan. LOL
Content warning:
Slight implication of incest because of extended familial relationships, even though they're not blood related.
The setting and plot:
Yeah okay, so one of the reasons I figured I might give it a try is because there is a dual timeline of Charlie in the current day somehow reaching across the past to connect with Tian Wei in the 1920s. Which, I mean, is a cool concept. I liked it in Agnes Ong's Skyping Back in Time. But here...
So everything for Charlie is happening in the span of a few days, and at the longest stretch, maybe a month? But it's happening for Tian Wei over months and years (there's some fancy mathematical theory for this) which... I guess as a reader, I wasn't convinced their rather sporadic letters were enough for them to fall in love. It felt like first one or two letters were like hello who are you what's going on, then bam, oh the numerical-stars-are-aligned instalove.
And then there's a pretty long jump in time for Tian Wei, which (ugh) brings him to the 1940s and WW2, which YEAH. no. But this is a me thing, and also why I haven't read any TTE books (#sorrynotsorry).
Verdict:
If you're a historical fiction fan, especially around SEA WW2 stories, you'll probably love this! If you're a camera & photography nerd, you'll probably also love this! If you bangga Singapura and Malaysia (because come on, they were the same country back in those days) and you love codemixing, you'll also love this!
Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Neem Tree Press via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
May 8, 2024
* 'Apophenia - the tendency to perceive connections or patterns between unrelated or random things'
* ‘the photograph is a forgotten object. we are fixated by its context alone; we forget its physicality’.
* ‘a photograph tells you very little. it masks reality’
I enjoyed this time-travelling historical novel and it kept me entertained throughout. Charlie’s character and time frame was easy (ish!) to follow and I enjoyed her sections of the book more than the 1920s section. It was written well and I was interested to know what happened next. The photographic theme was thoroughly engaging and I loved all the quotes about reality portraying through a photograph etc - it got me thinking! I thoroughly loved the historical element and plot twists throughout.
It was 3 stars for me because there were some negatives. I felt that the 1920s section had too many characters and they weren’t well explained so I got a tad confused about who was who! It also took me a few chapters to understand what was happening too, but overall enjoyed it! Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
* ‘the photograph is a forgotten object. we are fixated by its context alone; we forget its physicality’.
* ‘a photograph tells you very little. it masks reality’
I enjoyed this time-travelling historical novel and it kept me entertained throughout. Charlie’s character and time frame was easy (ish!) to follow and I enjoyed her sections of the book more than the 1920s section. It was written well and I was interested to know what happened next. The photographic theme was thoroughly engaging and I loved all the quotes about reality portraying through a photograph etc - it got me thinking! I thoroughly loved the historical element and plot twists throughout.
It was 3 stars for me because there were some negatives. I felt that the 1920s section had too many characters and they weren’t well explained so I got a tad confused about who was who! It also took me a few chapters to understand what was happening too, but overall enjoyed it! Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 28, 2024
The Light Between Us by Elaine Chiew and published by Neem Tree Press has a lot of good going for it.
The Plot: Firstly the plot is great. Think Time Traveller's Wife combined with the Lake House. Two lovers separated by time can mystically communicate with eachother through timed space by writing to eachother.
The Setting: The setting is also wonderful, we get lovely descriptions and depictions of both present and past Singapore, right back to the 19020s. We also get a lovely feel for the culture.
The writing: A little more a mixed bag, it is generally good, but the tense is a little jarring to read at times.
The romance: I would have liked more time spent on developing the romance to make us really believe it.
All in all its a strong book with a great plot and sits solidly at the 4 star mark. Thank you write reads and neem tree for this one!
The Plot: Firstly the plot is great. Think Time Traveller's Wife combined with the Lake House. Two lovers separated by time can mystically communicate with eachother through timed space by writing to eachother.
The Setting: The setting is also wonderful, we get lovely descriptions and depictions of both present and past Singapore, right back to the 19020s. We also get a lovely feel for the culture.
The writing: A little more a mixed bag, it is generally good, but the tense is a little jarring to read at times.
The romance: I would have liked more time spent on developing the romance to make us really believe it.
All in all its a strong book with a great plot and sits solidly at the 4 star mark. Thank you write reads and neem tree for this one!
September 18, 2024
This book was provided for review by Neem Tree Press, NetGalley, and The Write Reads. Thank you!
Trigger warning: Mention of past sexual assault, mention of infidelity, dubious consent
It's rare for me to read anything centered around World War 2, and even more rare for me to read books centered around a long-distance romance. However, when the opportunity came to read The Light Between Us by Elaine Chiew, I decided to take a chance.
The Light Between Us follows Charlene "Charlie" Sze-Toh and Wang Tian Wei. Through a series of events, the two of them begin to trade letters. His letters to her appear in a digital archive, and her letters to him appear on photograph glass. Their first letters are polite but a friendship forms and soon romance begins to blossom even as decades separate the two.
The story moves between Charlie in 2019/2020 and Tian Wei in 1920. Each is beset with their own difficulties. Charlie struggles with her personal life, butting heads with her stepmother who rules the family with the proverbial iron fist. Tian Wei struggles with the search for his good friend Aiko, trying to find her while the city of Singapore changes and grows. Through their exchanged letters, they find friendship and solace.
The actual execution of the story between Charlie and Tian Wei could have, in my opinion, been handled a bit better. It seems to take a back seat to the personal stories of both characters. Their letters, while lovely and sweet, are brief and few. When each one thinks of the other, their thoughts don't seem to have the oomph one would expect when reading a romance. Each one says they love the other but I found it hard to really connect and truly believe these two were star-crossed lovers.
The sheer number of characters also made it difficult to follow along. Both Charlie and Tian Wei are surrounded by friends and family. Characters come and go in both timelines and it was hard keeping track of who was where. There was also a kind of side story with Charlie in regards to her mother and stepmother that to be honest wasn't necessary. In my opinion, it didn't add to the story and for me only caused more confusion.
Considering the time and place that Tian Wei occupied, I can't say I was terribly surprised at the eventual outcome. It was certainly sad, but not surprising. As much as I was hoping for some kind of happy ending, I also knew how unlikely it was. There was nearly a century separating him and Charlie, a happy ever after just wasn't possible.
Overall, I enjoyed reading The Light Between Us. I found it to be a bittersweet and heartful story that did a good job of drawing me in. There were some parts I wasn't too fond of but overall it's a decent story. I would recommend this one to my readers who enjoy a good romance, just keep in mind you might not like the ending.
April 7, 2024
with dual perspectives from modern singapore to asia in the 1920’s, you wonder how both are connected. both parties both in modern singapore and the 1920’s are searching for a japanese girl aiko.
the reader is instantly enticed into wanting to find out more. as history and modern times get intertwined together
this is a story about how a relationship transcends time and forms through letters somehow being sent through time.
as the story proceeds, family secrets are revealed, healing generational trauma.
i must say, the writing is absolutely stunning and flows really nicely. you can tell the author has researched singapore / asian history vastly.
if you like asian mythology and learning about asian cultures this book is a really wonderful read. it’s really beautiful and powerful.
thankyou so much neam tree press and net galley for the arc. all opinions are my own
the reader is instantly enticed into wanting to find out more. as history and modern times get intertwined together
this is a story about how a relationship transcends time and forms through letters somehow being sent through time.
as the story proceeds, family secrets are revealed, healing generational trauma.
i must say, the writing is absolutely stunning and flows really nicely. you can tell the author has researched singapore / asian history vastly.
if you like asian mythology and learning about asian cultures this book is a really wonderful read. it’s really beautiful and powerful.
thankyou so much neam tree press and net galley for the arc. all opinions are my own
January 26, 2025
I became immersed in the SE Asian setting and unusual characters.
September 12, 2024
***Thank you to TheWriteReads and Neem Tree Press for providing a copy of the book. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***
The Light Between Us was a fascinating tale with a brilliant premise. It just didn't quite nail the execution of the story as well as I'd hoped. I loved the idea of time-crossed lovers somehow communicating back and forth over a 100-year time span. One of my favorite things about this book was getting to read the letters, which were included as part of the text. I actually wish that the author had relied even more on them to tell the story.
I enjoyed the world-building in The Light Between Us, but it did have its issues. The author managed to pack so much information about Singapore and its history into this book, and I ate it up. There were moments where the details felt a bit overwhelming, but I really, really enjoyed the experience of learning so much from this story, especially in the historical parts. However, the way the writing imparted all of the knowledge often felt like reading an academic text rather than a novel. I also wanted a bit more explanation for how the connection between the main characters was possible. The whole thing seemed a bit handwavy.
The characters in The Light Between Us were compelling, and I was interested in the outcomes of both the historical and contemporary plots. Charlie's family drama sucked me in from the start, and I just found her family's history and dynamic so fascinating. Tian Wei was probably my favorite character of the two, though. His attempts to find his missing friend amid the sociopolitical climate of his time were compulsively readable. Despite my interest in both characters and their stories, I never felt very emotionally attached to them. It seemed almost like there was a distance or wall between the characters and myself as the reader, which I think is probably due to the somewhat dry writing style.
The Light Between Us had a lot to say about various themes. It provided insight into the experience of living as a member of the Chinese diaspora, both historically and currently. The story also provided some poignant statements on the enduring power of love, both across distances and even once it has ended. I really loved how the journey of these characters emphasized how events of the past, as well as our own personal experiences, shape who we've become in the present. Each decision we make and relationship we have builds the foundation of who we become in the future, and this story illustrated that concept beautifully.
Unfortunately, the weakest element of The Light Between Us was the romance. The instant and intense connection between the characters after only one letter didn't make any sense. I didn't find their relationship believable at all. I really don't think this should be marketed as a romance,
Overall, The Light Between Us had a fascinating premise that didn't quite reach its full potential. The historical aspects were so detailed and kept me hooked, and I loved getting to read the letters between the characters. The story provided great opportunities to explore some powerful themes, and each of the characters had a compelling story to tell. The mechanics behind the speculative pieces needed a bit more detail, though, and the romance was just not at all believable and included one of my least favorite tropes/elements ever. Therefore, I rate The Light Between Us 3.25 out of 5 stars.
The Light Between Us was a fascinating tale with a brilliant premise. It just didn't quite nail the execution of the story as well as I'd hoped. I loved the idea of time-crossed lovers somehow communicating back and forth over a 100-year time span. One of my favorite things about this book was getting to read the letters, which were included as part of the text. I actually wish that the author had relied even more on them to tell the story.
I enjoyed the world-building in The Light Between Us, but it did have its issues. The author managed to pack so much information about Singapore and its history into this book, and I ate it up. There were moments where the details felt a bit overwhelming, but I really, really enjoyed the experience of learning so much from this story, especially in the historical parts. However, the way the writing imparted all of the knowledge often felt like reading an academic text rather than a novel. I also wanted a bit more explanation for how the connection between the main characters was possible. The whole thing seemed a bit handwavy.
The characters in The Light Between Us were compelling, and I was interested in the outcomes of both the historical and contemporary plots. Charlie's family drama sucked me in from the start, and I just found her family's history and dynamic so fascinating. Tian Wei was probably my favorite character of the two, though. His attempts to find his missing friend amid the sociopolitical climate of his time were compulsively readable. Despite my interest in both characters and their stories, I never felt very emotionally attached to them. It seemed almost like there was a distance or wall between the characters and myself as the reader, which I think is probably due to the somewhat dry writing style.
The Light Between Us had a lot to say about various themes. It provided insight into the experience of living as a member of the Chinese diaspora, both historically and currently. The story also provided some poignant statements on the enduring power of love, both across distances and even once it has ended. I really loved how the journey of these characters emphasized how events of the past, as well as our own personal experiences, shape who we've become in the present. Each decision we make and relationship we have builds the foundation of who we become in the future, and this story illustrated that concept beautifully.
Unfortunately, the weakest element of The Light Between Us was the romance. The instant and intense connection between the characters after only one letter didn't make any sense. I didn't find their relationship believable at all. I really don't think this should be marketed as a romance,
Overall, The Light Between Us had a fascinating premise that didn't quite reach its full potential. The historical aspects were so detailed and kept me hooked, and I loved getting to read the letters between the characters. The story provided great opportunities to explore some powerful themes, and each of the characters had a compelling story to tell. The mechanics behind the speculative pieces needed a bit more detail, though, and the romance was just not at all believable and included one of my least favorite tropes/elements ever. Therefore, I rate The Light Between Us 3.25 out of 5 stars.
November 9, 2024
‘A photograph does not lie. Whatever is photographed becomes a fact. The photographic truth as currency. Lesser truths. Bigger truths. Fragments of truth, as well as untruths that do not equal lies. There are truths that don’t matter. Sometimes images of the truth are more important than the actual truth.’
The Light Between Us is a historical fiction that spans 100 years, defying time and space as an archivist explores Singapore’s tumultuous past. The novel opens in the 1920s colonial era with a Chinese photographer, Wang Tian Wei starting his day when his assistant informs him of a shocking discovery: a barely discernable image of a letter with a date stated 5.1.2019. He wonders if it concerns his enquiry to the Secretary for Chinese Affairs about his missing friend, Aiko. Meanwhile, on the other side of the universe, in the present day, archivist Charlie Sze-Toh’s discovery of a misdirected letter from Wang Tian Wei in the Q.E folder. Q.E stands for quantum entanglement, a phenomenon where two particles entangle with each other, no matter how far they are apart.
Despite the years and world between them, Tian Wei and Charlie correspond through letters, each sharing personal struggles that unexpectedly intertwine - Tian Wei in his painful search for Aiko and Charlie in her quest to find her missing adopted brother after an art forgery scandal. What follows is a beautiful love story stretching across a century. Sounds familiar? You might recall a South Korean film called Il Mare or its American version, The Lake House. But The Light Between Us goes beyond a fantasy love story between two lovers separated by time and space.
Through these letters, readers are transported to Singapore’s colonial era and its tumultuous time, immersing themselves in the vibrant world of the Weekly Entertainment Club, the Peranakan Chinese Community Club, and the perfumed chambers of a Japanese brothel. In contrast, the letters reveal a hidden side of modern Singapore—the lavish, opulent world of the elite centred around Charlie’s grand family mansion at 43A Goodman Road.
What I enjoy most about this novel is how author Chiew gives us a glimpse into the fascinating world of 1920s photography in Singapore, revealing the artistry and nuances of capturing a moment in time. While today’s studios may lack a certain allure, the truth endures: subjects often perform for the camera by dressing up or presenting their best side. With Chiew’s art history expertise and meticulous research, her deep knowledge of Asian art enriches the narrative, adding layers of insight and authenticity.
Chiew deeply crafts her characters, bringing them to life as multi-faceted people rather than caricatures. For instance, the manipulative matriarch may seem harsh and unlikeable, but beneath her tough exterior lies a nuanced person who understands others and can be surprisingly fair.
Despite being her debut novel after a string of successful short stories, this is still a compelling debut that sometimes has me returning to the pages.
The Light Between Us is a historical fiction that spans 100 years, defying time and space as an archivist explores Singapore’s tumultuous past. The novel opens in the 1920s colonial era with a Chinese photographer, Wang Tian Wei starting his day when his assistant informs him of a shocking discovery: a barely discernable image of a letter with a date stated 5.1.2019. He wonders if it concerns his enquiry to the Secretary for Chinese Affairs about his missing friend, Aiko. Meanwhile, on the other side of the universe, in the present day, archivist Charlie Sze-Toh’s discovery of a misdirected letter from Wang Tian Wei in the Q.E folder. Q.E stands for quantum entanglement, a phenomenon where two particles entangle with each other, no matter how far they are apart.
Despite the years and world between them, Tian Wei and Charlie correspond through letters, each sharing personal struggles that unexpectedly intertwine - Tian Wei in his painful search for Aiko and Charlie in her quest to find her missing adopted brother after an art forgery scandal. What follows is a beautiful love story stretching across a century. Sounds familiar? You might recall a South Korean film called Il Mare or its American version, The Lake House. But The Light Between Us goes beyond a fantasy love story between two lovers separated by time and space.
Through these letters, readers are transported to Singapore’s colonial era and its tumultuous time, immersing themselves in the vibrant world of the Weekly Entertainment Club, the Peranakan Chinese Community Club, and the perfumed chambers of a Japanese brothel. In contrast, the letters reveal a hidden side of modern Singapore—the lavish, opulent world of the elite centred around Charlie’s grand family mansion at 43A Goodman Road.
What I enjoy most about this novel is how author Chiew gives us a glimpse into the fascinating world of 1920s photography in Singapore, revealing the artistry and nuances of capturing a moment in time. While today’s studios may lack a certain allure, the truth endures: subjects often perform for the camera by dressing up or presenting their best side. With Chiew’s art history expertise and meticulous research, her deep knowledge of Asian art enriches the narrative, adding layers of insight and authenticity.
Chiew deeply crafts her characters, bringing them to life as multi-faceted people rather than caricatures. For instance, the manipulative matriarch may seem harsh and unlikeable, but beneath her tough exterior lies a nuanced person who understands others and can be surprisingly fair.
Despite being her debut novel after a string of successful short stories, this is still a compelling debut that sometimes has me returning to the pages.
October 12, 2024
This book is set in two time periods; the MMC lives in Singapore in the beginning of the 20th century and the FFC lives in Singapore now. The stories intertwine because they pass letters between them by a mechanism that I never fully understood. Having been in Singapore frequently, I enjoyed reading about the city as it is now and as it was then, and learning more about the earlier period. I also enjoyed the frequent use of Malay, which I understand, but the even more frequent use of various Chinese dialects went over my head, and in the e-book format using the glossary is inconvenient, so I mostly guessed the meaning of the Chinese words from context or ignored them. With a hardcopy, this would be less of a problem.
The book is a time travel, mystery, family drama romance. It succeeds at most of these. The writing is uniformly good, the mysteries are interesting, the family drama is soapy and dramatic. The time travel aspect remained rather unclear to me. As noted, I never really understood how the letters were transmitted, or how they had visions of each other, and there efforts to meet were also not fully explained. So considerable suspension of disbelief was necessary.
The romance was less than compelling. The two main characters seem to fall madly in love for no real reason, after exchanging just a couple of letters. It never felt real to me. But that love was necessary because some of the modern plot hinged on it. I can forgive this failing, because the writing really was very good, and the two storylines, the presents and the past, were both quite fascinating.
On the whole an interesting book, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes historical novels with a bit of supernatural. But don’t go looking for a consuming romance because it’s not really there.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The book is a time travel, mystery, family drama romance. It succeeds at most of these. The writing is uniformly good, the mysteries are interesting, the family drama is soapy and dramatic. The time travel aspect remained rather unclear to me. As noted, I never really understood how the letters were transmitted, or how they had visions of each other, and there efforts to meet were also not fully explained. So considerable suspension of disbelief was necessary.
The romance was less than compelling. The two main characters seem to fall madly in love for no real reason, after exchanging just a couple of letters. It never felt real to me. But that love was necessary because some of the modern plot hinged on it. I can forgive this failing, because the writing really was very good, and the two storylines, the presents and the past, were both quite fascinating.
On the whole an interesting book, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes historical novels with a bit of supernatural. But don’t go looking for a consuming romance because it’s not really there.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 9, 2024
I really thought the dual timeline, quantum entanglement aspect was going to be cute but omg this book frustrated me to no end. The themes of colonialism in Singapore and forgotten women in history were so intriguing but the execution was just really not well done.
First of all, the characters had no depth to them at all.
Secondly, The writing is incredibly inaccessible. this is not a good book for people who are not well versed in Singaporean, Cantonese or mainland Chinese culture. I’m from Hong Kong and speak mandarin and Cantonese and that is the only reason why I wasn’t getting confused. It’s incredibly unnecessary to constantly throw in Chinese phrases into the speech, especially if you don’t explain what the words mean to the English reader.
For example, ‘do you want a dabao coffee’. It wasn’t explained that dabao is takeaway and if you didn’t know this already, it’s quite hard to get the meaning from context alone. There’s literally no reason why you couldn’t have just said ‘takeaway coffee’
Another example was ‘why would you not care what happens to our guojia’ again, there is no context to explain that guojia means country. This is not a book geared for an English reading audience, this book seems like it was written specifically for trilingual southeast Asians and frankly, I’m just really frustrated because instead of teaching people about culture it’s almost like it’s being gatekept. I’m proud of my heritage and love it when books try to share these with others but this was just not happening here.
Lastly, the 1920s had too many characters. Many of the names were only mentioned briefly and did not serve any purpose to the story at all.
First of all, the characters had no depth to them at all.
Secondly, The writing is incredibly inaccessible. this is not a good book for people who are not well versed in Singaporean, Cantonese or mainland Chinese culture. I’m from Hong Kong and speak mandarin and Cantonese and that is the only reason why I wasn’t getting confused. It’s incredibly unnecessary to constantly throw in Chinese phrases into the speech, especially if you don’t explain what the words mean to the English reader.
For example, ‘do you want a dabao coffee’. It wasn’t explained that dabao is takeaway and if you didn’t know this already, it’s quite hard to get the meaning from context alone. There’s literally no reason why you couldn’t have just said ‘takeaway coffee’
Another example was ‘why would you not care what happens to our guojia’ again, there is no context to explain that guojia means country. This is not a book geared for an English reading audience, this book seems like it was written specifically for trilingual southeast Asians and frankly, I’m just really frustrated because instead of teaching people about culture it’s almost like it’s being gatekept. I’m proud of my heritage and love it when books try to share these with others but this was just not happening here.
Lastly, the 1920s had too many characters. Many of the names were only mentioned briefly and did not serve any purpose to the story at all.
August 18, 2024
Set in Singapore, this historical urban fantasy is about a photographer and an archivist from two time points.
Wang Tian Wei is a photographer from the 1920s, whilst Charlie is a photograph archivist in 2019. Despite the time span, they are able to communicate with each other, simply through their every day setups. Whilst dealing with issues in their own lives, both try and make sense of this connection, physically and spiritually. They fall in love.
This story reminds me of the 2006 movie The Lake House starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, albeit the time separation is a hundred years. But this story is more. It is evident the author has done a lot of research for this book. So much is packed between the pages, from the every lives of the immigrants to the intricate cultural diversity within the Chinese community, from the historical backdrop of the post-imperial China to the WW2. I enjoyed being whisked back to colonial Singapore, and then revisiting today's Singapore.
I was also struck by the author's lyrical style. I stopped and reread the beautiful sentences on several occasions. The pages turned easily. In addition, the author has also navigated through the vernacular complexities of living in the melting pot of cultures that is Singapore.
Thank you to Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Prologue Opening Line: A flash of lightning strobes across the clerestory of the Singapore Centre of Photography.
Chapter 1 Opening Line : Tian Wei starts his mornings with a breakfast of fried you tiao and a bowl of sweet velvety bean curd.
Wang Tian Wei is a photographer from the 1920s, whilst Charlie is a photograph archivist in 2019. Despite the time span, they are able to communicate with each other, simply through their every day setups. Whilst dealing with issues in their own lives, both try and make sense of this connection, physically and spiritually. They fall in love.
This story reminds me of the 2006 movie The Lake House starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, albeit the time separation is a hundred years. But this story is more. It is evident the author has done a lot of research for this book. So much is packed between the pages, from the every lives of the immigrants to the intricate cultural diversity within the Chinese community, from the historical backdrop of the post-imperial China to the WW2. I enjoyed being whisked back to colonial Singapore, and then revisiting today's Singapore.
I was also struck by the author's lyrical style. I stopped and reread the beautiful sentences on several occasions. The pages turned easily. In addition, the author has also navigated through the vernacular complexities of living in the melting pot of cultures that is Singapore.
Thank you to Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Prologue Opening Line: A flash of lightning strobes across the clerestory of the Singapore Centre of Photography.
Chapter 1 Opening Line : Tian Wei starts his mornings with a breakfast of fried you tiao and a bowl of sweet velvety bean curd.
February 28, 2025
Elaine Chiew’s The Light Between Us is a poignant and beautifully written collection of short stories that delves deep into the complexities of human relationships, identity, and cultural conflicts.
The stories in The Light Between Us are varied yet consistent through their exploration of shared human experiences. Each narrative is told with genuine love and passion, and Chiew’s storytelling ability draws readers into the lives of her diverse characters.
Whether it’s a story about a mother grappling with her child’s sudden illness, or a tale of estranged lovers reconnecting after years apart, the writing is both emotionally raw and deeply reflective. The topics of confliction between personal desires and societal expectations, creating a tension that resonates throughout the book that really stuck with me.
The title itself carries multiple layers of meaning, representing the connections that exist between people, often despite physical or emotional distance. The themes of family, love, or memory crop up again and again, but it didn’t feel repetitive to me, rather that Chiew was sure in her stance and confident in her writing.
In conclusion, The Light Between Us is an exceptional debut collection by Elaine Chiew, offering a thoughtful and compelling look at the intricacies of human relationships and identity. With her evocative storytelling and keen insights into the human condition, Chiew establishes herself as a writer to watch. This collection will appeal to all readers who appreciate character-driven fiction that touches on both the personal and the global.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The stories in The Light Between Us are varied yet consistent through their exploration of shared human experiences. Each narrative is told with genuine love and passion, and Chiew’s storytelling ability draws readers into the lives of her diverse characters.
Whether it’s a story about a mother grappling with her child’s sudden illness, or a tale of estranged lovers reconnecting after years apart, the writing is both emotionally raw and deeply reflective. The topics of confliction between personal desires and societal expectations, creating a tension that resonates throughout the book that really stuck with me.
The title itself carries multiple layers of meaning, representing the connections that exist between people, often despite physical or emotional distance. The themes of family, love, or memory crop up again and again, but it didn’t feel repetitive to me, rather that Chiew was sure in her stance and confident in her writing.
In conclusion, The Light Between Us is an exceptional debut collection by Elaine Chiew, offering a thoughtful and compelling look at the intricacies of human relationships and identity. With her evocative storytelling and keen insights into the human condition, Chiew establishes herself as a writer to watch. This collection will appeal to all readers who appreciate character-driven fiction that touches on both the personal and the global.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 9, 2024
I was completely hooked by the blurb and premise of this book and couldn’t wait to read it - I was not disappointed!! The story has Notebook and Lake House vibes and the balance of romance, culture and history with a sprinkle of magic works so well together.
I’m a huge fan of dual timeline novels so this really hit the spot. I enjoyed moving between the modern day and the 1920s and couldn’t wait to get back to each one as I became immersed in both eras.
I’m so hopeful to travel to Singapore at some point and adored the description and vivid imagery I got when reading. For me - Singapore itself is an additional character with how it transforms over the timeline. I love how there’s a level of factual information which I really enjoyed. It’s used to develop and enhance the narrative, but is informative and it feels as though I really got to know so much more about SIngapore and its history.
The characters are intricately developed and it didn’t take long before I was with them - they were my friends and I became really emotionally attached to their lies - rooting for them continuously. Telling their tale through letters is such a great storytelling device.
I feel as though this is a book that you return to several times and find something new to discover or focus on. There are so many layers and themes that I can imagine you miss a lot on the first read.
A great read!
I’m a huge fan of dual timeline novels so this really hit the spot. I enjoyed moving between the modern day and the 1920s and couldn’t wait to get back to each one as I became immersed in both eras.
I’m so hopeful to travel to Singapore at some point and adored the description and vivid imagery I got when reading. For me - Singapore itself is an additional character with how it transforms over the timeline. I love how there’s a level of factual information which I really enjoyed. It’s used to develop and enhance the narrative, but is informative and it feels as though I really got to know so much more about SIngapore and its history.
The characters are intricately developed and it didn’t take long before I was with them - they were my friends and I became really emotionally attached to their lies - rooting for them continuously. Telling their tale through letters is such a great storytelling device.
I feel as though this is a book that you return to several times and find something new to discover or focus on. There are so many layers and themes that I can imagine you miss a lot on the first read.
A great read!
September 9, 2024
I am a bit conflicted about this one. I really liked the premise it was a super cool idea and I couldn't wait to see how it played out. I had no knowledge of any of the historical stuff taking place (which actually was a bit of a hindrance) and some of the terms I didn't understand. I think the book struggled a bit to decide what genre it actually wanted to be and the letters between these two weren't the main focus like I assumed they would be. I really think it would have been so much better to build the romance/love story between these two... but the book just kind of has them smitten with one another and pining for each other almost out of nowhere and the romance just felt strange to me.
I spent a lot of the book either confused by events because the terminology and culture wasn't something I was familiar with or bogged down in extensive details that weren't really critical to the story. It was interesting to me that the bigger focus of each storyline had almost nothing to do with the dynamic between the two characters (other than to keep them from a relationship with someone else). I guess I just wished for something more romantic honestly. I have to admit that the big moment was predictable from the start which was kind of disappointing. Overall, I think it was a good story but it just was missing something critical for me to love it.
I spent a lot of the book either confused by events because the terminology and culture wasn't something I was familiar with or bogged down in extensive details that weren't really critical to the story. It was interesting to me that the bigger focus of each storyline had almost nothing to do with the dynamic between the two characters (other than to keep them from a relationship with someone else). I guess I just wished for something more romantic honestly. I have to admit that the big moment was predictable from the start which was kind of disappointing. Overall, I think it was a good story but it just was missing something critical for me to love it.
September 17, 2024
This book broke me.
I will admit that I struggled with the first chapter or so of "The Light Between Us". My knowledge of Singapore's history is regrettably non-existent and there were references in those early pages had me feeling completely lost. As the pages went on, however, the missing history was explained, at least enough for the story to make sense. I even have to tip my hat to the author as we are never bogged down with history and exposition. It just comes naturally.
As my confusion decreased, the opposite happened to how impressed I was. Soon, I was hooked. The writing was gorgeous and the narrative often wandered into the philosophical, but it was the love story that had me burning the Midnight oil (I. Did. Not. Sleep) Far from straightfprward the many layers of Charlie's and Tien Wei's story had me so invested that I read as fast as I could just to get to the next letter. So invested that after reading the ending I was left staring at the ceiling for a good 20 minutes. It me broken in the best possible way. If given the chance, I would leap at the chance to read Elaine Chiew again.
I will certainly be looking more into Singapore's history.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I will admit that I struggled with the first chapter or so of "The Light Between Us". My knowledge of Singapore's history is regrettably non-existent and there were references in those early pages had me feeling completely lost. As the pages went on, however, the missing history was explained, at least enough for the story to make sense. I even have to tip my hat to the author as we are never bogged down with history and exposition. It just comes naturally.
As my confusion decreased, the opposite happened to how impressed I was. Soon, I was hooked. The writing was gorgeous and the narrative often wandered into the philosophical, but it was the love story that had me burning the Midnight oil (I. Did. Not. Sleep) Far from straightfprward the many layers of Charlie's and Tien Wei's story had me so invested that I read as fast as I could just to get to the next letter. So invested that after reading the ending I was left staring at the ceiling for a good 20 minutes. It me broken in the best possible way. If given the chance, I would leap at the chance to read Elaine Chiew again.
I will certainly be looking more into Singapore's history.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 24, 2024
I have never read a book set in Singapore before but have always been interested in learning more about it, particularly from the 1900-1950 odd period so I love that we get to be immersed in the history and culture of it in the 1920s here.
Its actually set across dual timelines 100 years apart and they mesh really well together. I’m never a huge fan of present tense writing, it always reads a little awkwardly to me, but I have to admit the author pulls it off well here. The chapters are generally quite short, which leads to a nice fast paced feel to things.
What we have here is basically a historical romance with contemporary elements in an exotic location with strong historical research throughout. It reminded me a little in some ways of the movie the Lake house or a book I read a few years ago ‘A Different time’, but we have a much stronger focus on historical fiction in this.
All in all I’d highly recommend it to anybody who likes fast paced, dual time lines historical romance. Thank you Neem Tree and write reads for my copy
Its actually set across dual timelines 100 years apart and they mesh really well together. I’m never a huge fan of present tense writing, it always reads a little awkwardly to me, but I have to admit the author pulls it off well here. The chapters are generally quite short, which leads to a nice fast paced feel to things.
What we have here is basically a historical romance with contemporary elements in an exotic location with strong historical research throughout. It reminded me a little in some ways of the movie the Lake house or a book I read a few years ago ‘A Different time’, but we have a much stronger focus on historical fiction in this.
All in all I’d highly recommend it to anybody who likes fast paced, dual time lines historical romance. Thank you Neem Tree and write reads for my copy
June 30, 2024
I received an advanced review copy of this book, to review for a tour with The Write Reads.
This is an Asian romance novel with a time-travel element. From the beginning, I felt the writing had a poetic quality that struck me as beautiful. My initial feeling was simply a kind of mild curiosity, and the desire to know more about the characters and their connection. I found it difficult to put the book down, and as I read on, I felt captivated by Charlie and Tian Wei’s connection. I felt it was something that needed to be appreciated and understood by the reader.
In this book, a powerful bond is created through exchanging letters. I myself have penpals, and treasure the connections I've made through the pastime, so it was something that hit quite close to home for me. It was when I found myself tearful, that I realised how emotionally invested I was.
If you enjoy romantic tearjerkers or novels with a time-travel element, this may be for you.
Thank you to The Write Reads, Neem Tree Press, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.
This is an Asian romance novel with a time-travel element. From the beginning, I felt the writing had a poetic quality that struck me as beautiful. My initial feeling was simply a kind of mild curiosity, and the desire to know more about the characters and their connection. I found it difficult to put the book down, and as I read on, I felt captivated by Charlie and Tian Wei’s connection. I felt it was something that needed to be appreciated and understood by the reader.
In this book, a powerful bond is created through exchanging letters. I myself have penpals, and treasure the connections I've made through the pastime, so it was something that hit quite close to home for me. It was when I found myself tearful, that I realised how emotionally invested I was.
If you enjoy romantic tearjerkers or novels with a time-travel element, this may be for you.
Thank you to The Write Reads, Neem Tree Press, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.
September 11, 2024
This book is a beautiful story about love and its many iterations; these so-called ties that bind which, if unchecked, keep us small and distant from our true selves, our own inner strength.
The love story between Charlie and Tian Wei remind me of the love story of Rose and Jack in the Titanic —- pure, intense, real but untenable. The courage to love amidst the certainty of impermanence makes such a love great and heroic. Once a heart has loved and been loved deeply, it is changed forever. Perhaps this is why despite the failed effort of Charlie to save Tian Wei, it was really Tian Wei who saved Charlie from a placid, armored existence. In the end, she found hope in herself despite the tragedies and complexities of her past, a courage impossible without having crossed paths with Tian Wei. And this is my favorite part. Because we know all too well that in real life, often, being brave and moving forward is the happy ending.
#elainechiew #thelightbetweenus #thepainterwhowrites #weaverofwordspainterofpictures
The love story between Charlie and Tian Wei remind me of the love story of Rose and Jack in the Titanic —- pure, intense, real but untenable. The courage to love amidst the certainty of impermanence makes such a love great and heroic. Once a heart has loved and been loved deeply, it is changed forever. Perhaps this is why despite the failed effort of Charlie to save Tian Wei, it was really Tian Wei who saved Charlie from a placid, armored existence. In the end, she found hope in herself despite the tragedies and complexities of her past, a courage impossible without having crossed paths with Tian Wei. And this is my favorite part. Because we know all too well that in real life, often, being brave and moving forward is the happy ending.
#elainechiew #thelightbetweenus #thepainterwhowrites #weaverofwordspainterofpictures
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2024
“The Light Between Us” is one of the very few time-crossed tales I’ve ventured, and the only story I can remember with a Singapore setting. Falling in love via letters is difficult for me to fully grasp, but the two main characters, Tian Wei and Charlie, falling in love between two different eras is what really drew me in. This reminds me of two movies I’ve seen in the past (Somewhere in Time and The Lake House.)
Charlie is an interesting character, and I connected with her more than with Tian Wei. Though their romance feels a bit insta-love, I did enjoy the photograph and time-crossed notions. And learning some of the culture of past and present Singapore is a plus.
I didn’t really have any preconceived ideas of what to expect other than a unique love story, but there are a few elements that are negatives for me. Some things were confusing (language barrier?/too many characters) and one familial element that pulled me out of the story.
#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book.
Opinions are 100% mine.
3.5
Charlie is an interesting character, and I connected with her more than with Tian Wei. Though their romance feels a bit insta-love, I did enjoy the photograph and time-crossed notions. And learning some of the culture of past and present Singapore is a plus.
I didn’t really have any preconceived ideas of what to expect other than a unique love story, but there are a few elements that are negatives for me. Some things were confusing (language barrier?/too many characters) and one familial element that pulled me out of the story.
#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book.
Opinions are 100% mine.
3.5
June 27, 2024
The Light Between us is a really exciting premise. Not only is it set in a fairly exotic location(for me) Singapore, it is also set across time - in the 1920s and the present day. We get some magical time travel elements and a copious dose of history and culture.
Tian Wei and Charlie are able to communicate to each other across time with letters and soon fall in love, but there is a catch to this across time communication -the more they write the longer the messages take to get to their destination. The only reason I docked a star so it isn’t the full five stars is I didn’t really click with their love story. I could see them being powerful friends perhaps but not so much in love. Also there were a lot of characters to keep up with.
All in all thought is written well, is evocative and engaging and a definite recommend especially to anybody who enjoys time travel romance.
Tian Wei and Charlie are able to communicate to each other across time with letters and soon fall in love, but there is a catch to this across time communication -the more they write the longer the messages take to get to their destination. The only reason I docked a star so it isn’t the full five stars is I didn’t really click with their love story. I could see them being powerful friends perhaps but not so much in love. Also there were a lot of characters to keep up with.
All in all thought is written well, is evocative and engaging and a definite recommend especially to anybody who enjoys time travel romance.
August 21, 2024
Alot of difficult words and unbelievable parts??
I like reading the timeline of Tian Wei's story, because its packed with alot of unexplored terrains of chinese intellectual's lives (its the first time i know of reading rooms!), prostitution, chinese nationalism, feminism.
However, i find some parts lacking emotional depth when its opportune given the plot. For example, the death of tian wei felt sudden and there seem to be no grieving from Charlie's part even tho she was once madly in love with him??
The part where Tianwei possessed Seb's body and had sex with Charlie is just unbelievable. Sex is such a physical process and you're literally having sex with your half brother's body tell me that's not bewilding?🤨
I still enjoyed the book for its context, thought the romance was the least convincing part. Even Aiko's love for tianwei gege was more convincing and bittersweet.
I like reading the timeline of Tian Wei's story, because its packed with alot of unexplored terrains of chinese intellectual's lives (its the first time i know of reading rooms!), prostitution, chinese nationalism, feminism.
However, i find some parts lacking emotional depth when its opportune given the plot. For example, the death of tian wei felt sudden and there seem to be no grieving from Charlie's part even tho she was once madly in love with him??
The part where Tianwei possessed Seb's body and had sex with Charlie is just unbelievable. Sex is such a physical process and you're literally having sex with your half brother's body tell me that's not bewilding?🤨
I still enjoyed the book for its context, thought the romance was the least convincing part. Even Aiko's love for tianwei gege was more convincing and bittersweet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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