A BETTER LIFE

by Isobel Scharen

Ada, a young Englishwoman in early-1940s Singapore, is about to be married to Michael, a well-educated Anglo-Indian from a wealthy family. She dreams of a life of security and fulfilment. Instead, when the Japanese invade, her family struggle to cope under occupation, while she is interned in Changi gaol. Separated from her baby daughter and her beloved Michael, who is torn between loyalty to his family and duty to his country, she needs all her will-power to survive.After the war, Ada must decide how best to protect her child. She leaves Singapore in search of a better life only to experience prejudice and unkindness. But her journey will also bring compassion and hope. This moving and engaging story is an insightful depiction of people deeply affected by the horrors of war, a mother’s bond with her child, and the momentous challenge of rebuilding one’s life in peace-time. A challenge which requires, above all, self-belief, the capacity to forgive, and the courage to love again.

404 pages, Paperback

Published January 22, 2020

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a powerful historical story that takes place during WWII and set in Singapore. I don't think that I've ever read a book about the repercussions that the people went through after the Japanese invasion especially on people who were English.

In 1949, Ada, a young Englishwoman living in Singapore, is getting ready to marry Michael, a well-educated Anglo-Indian from a wealthy family. When the Japanese invade, she is sent to a prison and leaves her baby daughter with her husband's family because her husband has disappeared trying to help the resistance. The thoughts of being with her daughter again are the only thing that keeps her alive under horrendous conditions. Once the war is over and she is released, she realizes that she has to leave the country to find the peace that she needs to get to know her daughter again and have a good life.

This beautiful written story had a wonderful, well written main character. Ada was brave and resilient and risked her life to get back to her young daughter. She showed a mother's deep devotion to her child. The setting in Singapore was very interesting for me because it was a place that I don't think I've ever read about before - at least during this time period. The novel is gritty but truthful and shows how far one woman will go to have a better life for her and her beloved daughter.

[Zoe L.]

This is a beautiful story about a time and a place that I don’t know much about. AKA, my type of story. I love a historical fiction that teaches me something while also providing an enjoyable story. And one thing that this story does really imbue is the cost of a better life and if finding it truly is what you expected.

This story is set in Singapore in the early 1940s and examines life before, during, and after the war. While I’ve read a lot of stories on WWII, I haven’t read many focusing on the Japanese and can quite honestly say that this is the first one I’ve read centered on Singapore. While we are used to books focusing on the horrors of the Holocaust, but A Better Life gives a glimpse into the horrors of a Japanese internment camp. Taking us through multiple different settings this book is a moving tale on how difficult life was during this time.

A Beautiful Life is one of those haunting books that will stick with you because of the trials that the characters endured. It is a touching look at a battle for a better life while dealing with the prejudice and cruelty of others. And even with all of this the story is extremely unique and sheds light on a side of history that is rarely seen in books. This book will leave you feeling inspired to hope for more.

You can view my full review on my blog! I also post about a lot of different types of books!

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[Aliaa A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hopefully a better life for Ada and her daughter
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 February 2020
This is the story of Ada, who is often reminded by her sister, friends, neighbours and by her mother that she has a very lucky life, which seems confirmed by her fairy tale wedding. But the story then takes us from peaceful pre-war Singapore and Malaya, to life in an unbearably harsh Japanese internment camp, and then to a troubled new beginning in post-war New Zealand.
Throughout her journey AdA hopes for a better life. But wars, internment, marital uncertainty and dark family secrets lurk. We see her developing an understanding that races can and generally do behave towards each other, not in the harmonious manner typical of her childhood and her idealistic parents, but motivated by power and snobbery.
The racial hierarchy that reigns in pre-war Singapore places the English on top of the social scale and the Chinese Amahs on the lowest. ADA discovers that the balance is not much different in post war New Zealand, where power is in the hands of the whites with everybody else treated with suspicion and haughtiness.
Yet despite all this, a better life awaits Ada and her daughter. A very enjoyable read.

[Alicia P · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written and moving story which both evocatively captures the time and places in which it's set and also poignantly resonates with now. I felt so much compassion for Ada, and so moved by her vulnerable courage in the face of adversity to find her tribe, her home, wherever that may be or whomever that may be with. It's a story of hope for those who feel they don't belong. LOVED IT!

[Christine Allen-Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that, once started, you don’t want to put down!