Frog under A Coconut Shell

by Josephine Chia

This book is based on the author's true story of how her own mother struggled for her right to educate her daughters despite her own parochial existence in a small kampong. This highly nostalgic and evocative book pays tribute to her mother's courageous journey from the bloom of youth to her affliction with Alzheimer's disease in old age.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Asia

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Ms Josephine Chia is a Peranakan and is proud of her heritage. She writes both fiction and non-fiction. She has eight published books, including Frog Under A Coconut Shell, which has a second edition in 2010 and is currently being translated into Bahasa Indonesia. Josephine was one of the winners of UK's Ian St. James Awards in 1992 and has won other literary prizes.
Josephine runs Creative Writing Courses and is Mentor to aspiring young writers.

Reviews

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frog under a coconut shell is an idiom in Peranakan culture that stands for something like “if you live in a confined mind set you will not escape your prison.” It is vital to break out in order to find that a lot more is available to you. Josephine (Phine) Chia was born in that culture in a kampong (shanty town) in 1951. Peranakans are a mix of Chinese and Malay and have a distinct culture and customs in Singapore and to the north. Her kampong disappeared sometime after the British left in 1963, but she did not escape until she was 16. The city began its quick rise towards becoming one of the wealthiest areas in East Asia.

Phine explained her family and desperately impoverished childhood. The book is written at a crisis time in her family. Her beloved Mak (mama) is deep into Alzheimer’s and the person who pulled the family from their position under the coconut shell at her own expense is slipping away. Her daughter grieves the loss of the person who insisted on an education for her daughter so that she wouldn’t be condemned to a life common among females in a paternalistic society. Her father is abusive and controlling and sees no reason for girls to be educated.

Against all odds Phine gets that education and the chance for the freedom her mother never had. Sadly, her mother is becoming imprisoned by a body and mind that is failing her. Phine does a good job explaining the consequences of Alzheimer’s on her Mak as well as on the entire family.

Besides the theme of Alzheimer’s, the memoir’s bests parts show what Singapore was like then as well as now. Food and culture are very interesting.

Problems with the book—there is a great need for a sympathetic editor. Sometimes the ideas whirl around as if they were in a blender. More than a few times the same group of sentences are repeated verbatim. I also think Phine’s later life in England is a distraction from the real themes of the book. It should have been done more briefly.

[Shuhada Ramli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josephine Chia has written this very well. It’s the best Memoir I have ever read so far. A very good example of life struggle and unconditional love. Her English is not difficult and the narrative is compelling that I couldn’t put down. I cry a bucket of tears and it hurts my feelings knowing that this is a very long grieving process before the story even ended.

If you ask me to recommend a good book for an endless life-lesson, I would recommend this book to you. Read this book bit by bit and absorb the lessons.

[Imas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setiap orang yang membaca kisah tentang ibu menurut ku pasti akan mengenang kembali kisah hidupnya bersama ibunda. Tak terkecuali aku sendiri.

Buku ini merupakan memoar yang ditulis oleh seorang penulis asal Singapura yang kemudian hijrah ke Inggris sebagai persembahan atas semua perjuangan sang ibu membesarkan, mendidik dan menyekolahkannya hingga berada dititik sekarang dia berdiri.

Ah Phine, gadis peranakan campuran cina dan melayu yang tinggal di kampong Potong Pasir Singapura. Kisah masa kecil yang dilalui saat Singapura miskin pada tahun 1950 sd 1960an. Kegigihan sang ibu yang bersikeras bahwa anak-anaknya termasuk anak perempuan harus memperoleh pendidikan yang layak tidak sia-sia. Melalui anak-anaknya sang bunda seolah menggapai apa yang tidak dapat dilakukannya. Dilain pihak ada ayah yang kasar, dan tidak menyetujui pendidikan untuk anak perempuan.

Hubungan keluarga, budaya dan antar manusia dan alam semuanya dilukiskan disini. Banyak renungan yang bisa diambil dan cinta yang harus disyukuri. Manusia memang tidak sempurna namun kemampuan untuk memahami ketidaksempurnaan itu, mencoba maklum seringkali tidak mudah. Kebencian terhadap sosok ayah yang keras akhirnya dipahami bukanlah suatu sifat yang berdiri sendiri, begitu banyak faktor yang membentuk karakter seperti lingkungan, keluarga, pendidikan dan kondisi perekonomian. Mungkin jika sang ayah berada pada situasi berbeda juga akan bersikap berbeda. Seseorang adalah produk dari jamannya. Menyimpan kebencian ternyata tidak menghasilkan apa-apa. Seperti diungkap dalam buku ini "kebencian tidak akan membiarkan kita bebas, melainkan akan membentuk lapisan tirai antara diri kita dan keadaan yang sebenarnya. Namun waktu dan kedewasaan bisa mengobati amarah ".

[sn_fiq · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading memoirs. Especially the ones giving you emotional impact. And this memoir brings you to ride a roller coaster of emotions.


Full review coming.

[Desca Ang · Rating 3 out of 5]

The review is taken from my Instagram account: @descanto

Katak bawah Tempurung or is simply translated as Frog Under a Coconut Shell is written by a Chinese Peranakan Josephine Chia. I honestly do not know whether I should address Chia as a Singaporean or Malaysian writer as the whole family was Malaysian Chinese who is migrated to Singapore.

Frog under a Coconut Shell is basically Chia's autobiography about her family particularly about her mother and her life circling around a life of a Chinese peranakan here. It starts from the time her family was in Malaysia then moved to Singapore. She talks about her grandfather who is addicted to gambling,leaving the family a huge debt. The grandmom will have to run from Malaysia to Singapore to avoid the money shark.

The story goes from grandmother to Chia's mother. Here, she presents the Chinese culture, the superstitions, the belief, the tradition including arranged marriage. She tells a story about her Mak (mamma) when Mak's old and has Alzheimer. The family will have to deal with her who often forgets things.

I personally don't really enjoy this story. It is so unlike Chia's other books like Kampong Spirit or Goodbye My Kampong that I like even more. Well, the story is nice and Chia's relationship and devotion to her mother is very touching and profonding. Add the fact that Chia is good in narration and in presenting the Peranakan Chinese culture to others. But the tone of story after a while gets too monotone. Chia will go mixing the story of her grandma then mother and suddenly swift to her own story which - to me is somehow confusing. Review in general? It is okay, it is okay for a light reading.

[Martha Tyas · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, I found it a little difficult to read. This is just my personal feeling, as English isn't my first language. However, as the pages turn, the story becomes increasingly interesting as I learn more about Alzheimer's, Peranakan culture, Singapore in the 50s, and the ingrained belief that women didn't deserve an education. The latter seems to have been a common mindset in many parts of the world during that period of time.

The book doesn't follow a fixed timeline. At one point, you're reading about the mother who became an unofficial midwife in the village, and in the next paragraph, it talks about a neighbor who was a “dukun” whose soul would wander during meditation. Because of this, the narrative feels like a flood of the author's memories, as if she has so many stories she wants to share with her readers.

[Atiqah Ghazali AlKashif · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, hmm, it is meant to be for me to pick up this book and read it. It took me nearly a month because I knew there must be something for me to learn from this book, so I draided, delayed and sometimes, I got nervous.

After 100th page, it took me only about 4 days to finish it off in between works, business and family's responsibilities. I love this book very much. I even contacted the author and set up a discussion this weekend. Somehow the ending is like a golden liquor in mending my broken heart.

So much laughter, smiles, tears and I even threw this book on the pillow twice; as it reminds me too much of my own family. Easily, this book is my Top 5 read this year and Mama Phine is my top 5 favourite author now.

[Kes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author’s memoir about her mom’s life - but she also talks about her own life and her reflections on motherhood. The description of poverty is difficult to read - can’t believe it is in living memory. Her mom also has Alzheimer’s, so historical anecdotes are interspersed with that present-day reality of her mom’s fading memory. Josephine shuttles between London and Singapore; in Singapore she can fully devote herself to her mom. There is an episode of her mom being sick and hospitalised; but she recovers. It’s questionable whether the recovery was worth it.

Worth reading for anyone interested in Singapore history.

[Ming Qian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always nice to read singlit and descriptions of familiar foods and places that I’ve grown up in. With the added dimension of watching a loved one deteriorate from Alzheimer’s only heightened the sense of nostalgia throughout.

However, this book could use more proofreading or an editor’s keen eye. Too many typos that disrupt the flow of reading.

[Arief Mulyanto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Banyak pelajaran hidup yang bisa diambil dari buku ini.

[Diana Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a so-so for me; not brilliant but not bad either... 2.5 ⭐

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

The review is 100% because I love love love reading about Peranakan lives and history!

[Silmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

it makes me respect and love my mom even more.

[Stftrns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ini mah kisah hidup gweh (beda dikit opsional)

[_Augustus_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing this book. I just want to run and hug my mom real quick. Such a beautiful story telling and writing style.

[A. B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dari baca buku ini, jadi tau kalo Singapura taun 50-60an sama kayak Manggarai dan Pasar Rumput taun 80an. Kumuh

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was wary when I picked out this book at my local library. I was interested to read about Peranakan culture and Singapore in the 50s/60s, but I'm not that fond of reading memoirs. I always feel that the authors come across as self-indulgent to some extent no matter what. However, I was so engrossed in the story that it didn't bother me at all. Maybe it was because the book read mostly like a fictional story. I actually finished the book in about 28 hours, which says a lot. I just couldn't put it down once I started.

The story is about the author and her siblings coping with the care of their mother, who is suffering from Alzheimer's. She weaves into this her mother's story, which is also the story of her childhood. I was really impressed that the author wrote about the poverty of her past so openly. Although my mother, who is probably only a few years younger than the author and also grew up in a kampong, shared little bits of how life was like for her, she always made light of it. For example, mum told us about how she and her siblings would be over the moon if they had a piece of pig's liver to share amongst them. But she never elaborated about how they probably lived in hunger most of the time. My father also grew up in a kampong but I'm so glad that the men of his generation think differently from those of his parents' time. I'm fortunate to be born in my generation.

Both my parents never went on to be as well-educated as the author, but they were educated enough to get work in offices. Growing up, I always wondered why they never tire of their desk jobs. It just seemed so mundane to someone of my generation, whereas we are always chasing after some dream (either because of passion or for the money.) Now I understand that to them, it's already quite an achievement to be able to do such jobs.

I think I shall have to read this book again sometime to savour it more slowly. I read it so quickly this time because the story was too compelling.

[Rowena · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a wonderful and rich book covering interesting themes. Alzheimer disease and how the family cope with the carrier seldom can be found, and never in this beautiful and emotional narration. It is also rich in history of Singapore, and in Peranakan culture. The book is also unique because Phine is living in two worlds and can relate to both readers: the Asians and the Europeans. She sees the Asian culture (including Peranakan) in the eyes of the outsiders but on the other hand she is telling her own story of the person who is bonded by the culture.

I myself am an Indonesian and speak Malay-variety language and can relate to many of her terms. However I am wondering how the non-Malay reader could understand the phrases and terms without foot-notes. Some phrases and explained afterwards, but there are those left unexplained.

All and all, it's thumbs-up.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. It brought up such an emotional storm inside me. Not only because my mother too, had Alzheimer's, but there were many other similarities as well, such as balancing a life between the different cultures of east & west. Fortunately, I did not, however, experience the poverty that Josephine grew up in, and it saddens me that I take so much for granted.
This book chose me as I walked down the isle in the bookstore, and it will stay with me for a long time.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could really use a good editor. I almost gave up on it, but am glad I persisted. The end, where the author rethinks her relationship with her father, and her mother's role in her life was a great way to end the book, making it worth reading the whole thing. The story was universal - how to deal with becoming a "parent" to your mother. How to deal with the helplessness of someone who always cared for you? But, my favorite part was hearing about the past in Singapore, and how much life has changed there.

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

A memoir that focuses on the author's childhood (Singapore in the 50's/60's) and mother, who suffers from Alzheimer. Poignant and lovingly written.