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The Missing Chopstick
When her mother gave her a pencil box with a single chopstick in it, Kim asked why. She later learned that she had a twin sister who died soon after they were born. Did they come into the world a pair, with one taken away? Follow Kim as she pursues the mystery of The Missing Chopstick , bewildered by strange papers and unnerved by a hidden gravestone.
104 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 26, 2020
A great story about kindness and forgiveness.
October 1, 2021
Short but gripping, this is the story of Kim as she uncovers one of the biggest secrets of her existence. As a child, her mother offered her a pencil case with one chopstick in it. Kim always wondered where the other one was but her mother only ever cryptically mentioned Kim having a twin.
When Kim’s father has an accident, she returns from her university in the United States to pay him a visit. As she goes through the family’s papers to pay for his treatment and discovers a mysterious piece written in Vietnamese. This leads her onto a trail of discovery she never would have expected. Going from her native island of Pulau Ubin and visiting places all around Singapore, she embarks on this adventure to uncover the truth about who she is and what her lonely chopstick really symbolises.
I took great pleasure in the reading of this short story. I was particularly keen on all the history that was thrown in: I learned lots about the Vietnam War and the cultural aspects surrounding it. I appreciated the approach on ethnic groups. The Asian characters seemed to stick together when in the US, but they did discussed racism: a character described the supposed asian “melting pot” to be more of a “salad dish: [they] retain [their] distinct identities, but flavour one another in the final recipe”. I found that quite an interesting take on the subject!
Kim was a wonderful character. Although, I was only with her for 87 pages I felt like I understood her. Her fear of the unknown resonated with some of my own insecurities. She managed to push that fear away, chasing the facts she knew were not entirely out of reach, demonstrating that courage exists in all of us, we just have to be willling to look for it.
This was a very enjoyable book. I got to think about themes of war, refugees, racism and family issues too. The revelation at the end was fascinating, the information was well-included and some lovely sentences were crafted.
When Kim’s father has an accident, she returns from her university in the United States to pay him a visit. As she goes through the family’s papers to pay for his treatment and discovers a mysterious piece written in Vietnamese. This leads her onto a trail of discovery she never would have expected. Going from her native island of Pulau Ubin and visiting places all around Singapore, she embarks on this adventure to uncover the truth about who she is and what her lonely chopstick really symbolises.
I took great pleasure in the reading of this short story. I was particularly keen on all the history that was thrown in: I learned lots about the Vietnam War and the cultural aspects surrounding it. I appreciated the approach on ethnic groups. The Asian characters seemed to stick together when in the US, but they did discussed racism: a character described the supposed asian “melting pot” to be more of a “salad dish: [they] retain [their] distinct identities, but flavour one another in the final recipe”. I found that quite an interesting take on the subject!
Kim was a wonderful character. Although, I was only with her for 87 pages I felt like I understood her. Her fear of the unknown resonated with some of my own insecurities. She managed to push that fear away, chasing the facts she knew were not entirely out of reach, demonstrating that courage exists in all of us, we just have to be willling to look for it.
This was a very enjoyable book. I got to think about themes of war, refugees, racism and family issues too. The revelation at the end was fascinating, the information was well-included and some lovely sentences were crafted.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews