Blue Sky Mansion

by H.Y. Yeang

Finalist for the 2021 Epigram Books Fiction Prize

After breaking out of an impregnable tomb deep underground, five-year-old Mei Choon is trapped in a city locked down in the grip of the plague. She leaves China for British Malaya where, coming of age, she escapes a house of ill repute through grit and guile. World War II catches up with Mei Choon, the woman. When the British flee Penang in a "whites-only" train, she finds herself in the thick of the Japanese aerial bombardment.

Genres: Fiction

Paperback

Published July 1, 2021

Reviews

[Yukai Lim · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the coolest book I have ever read. The first book I read which was first set in China and then Penang, Malaysia and a bit of Singapore. This book hit very close to home as my ancestors also came from China into Malaysia and Singapore. The Japanese occupation mentioned which I also learnt from history lesson is a reminder how hard life was .

[Khairun Atika · Rating 3 out of 5]

"It is not just the destruction and death when the bombs explode that terrify the people. An exploded bomb can do no further harm than it already has. But what is yet to come is unknown. It is the anticipation of the next carnage that creates a climate of threat, despair and constant terror." - Blue Sky Mansion by H.Y. Yeang

A sweeping epic of loss, tragedy and unwavering hope, this is the story of the trials and tribulations of young Tang Mei Choon from the plague-ridden wastelands of China, and her journey and life to and in Malaya.

Young Mei Choon was sold into servitude, yet circumstances have given her the chance to escape the deadly and chaotic plague in Harbin. Raised and educated by her beloved Uncle Tong, Mei Choon is a gutsy and intelligent girl ready to take on the world.

Yet fate intervened time and time again. Tragedy strikes yet again, and this time she is sold to a brothel, the enigmatic and prolific Blue Sky Mansion, where a dreaded existence awaits her. Will Mei Choon be able to finally live a life less harrowing?

This was an epic adventure, a historical novel that explores the plague in Harbin, Malaya and particularly Penang under British rule, as well as the Japanese invasion of Malaya. Filled with lots of heartwrenching pain and loss, this story is one that would truly tug on the reader's heartstrings.

I loved the narrative, especially in the chapters where Mei Choon's fearlessness and determination prevailed. It was a delight to read about the feisty Mei Choon, and how she deals with every trial that comes her way. It makes for a refreshing change, to see a heroine who is unwittingly brave, smart and selfless. Utterly remarkable and truly enjoyable, this is a story I would truly recommend.

[pages of ainul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just have a soft spot for historical fiction,, ughhhh

This one in particular is a very fast and easy read, the flow of the story IS SMOOTH AS HELL. i loved how it entwined china and malaya atm in history, how some events actually occured and gave an insight how it all happened back during the days malaya was being intruded by japan and british.

Ngl, history isn't my favourite subject in school but when the author told the stories of how japan attacked malaya and how british reacted to it (even though it's fiction) that stirred something in me that use to yawn in history class.

Overall loved the read, would def recommend for historical fiction lovers!

[Jia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always love a good historical fiction based here in Asia.

We follow the life of our protagonist, Mei Choon, from 1911, when she unceremoniously got herself locked in a tomb, after being "sold" by her mother to the P'an household. She was saved unexpectedly, only to find herself caught in the Manchurian plague after that.

The story fast-forwarded to 1921, after Mei Choon migrated to Penang, Malaysia where she unfortunately landed in Blue Sky Mansion, a brothel, and finally to 1941, to the start of World War II.

Definitely a lot going on in Mei Choon's life. I couldn't put down the book as I really wanted to know what happens next. What is Mei Choon going to do? What will happen to them?

I learnt so much while reading this book. I never knew about the Manchurian Plague & the contribution of Dr Wu Lien-Teh, a Chinese-Malaysian, who contributed greatly in containing the spread of the plague in 1911. You might find some similarities with the COVID pandemic.

Fun fact: The author is actually the great grand-nephew of Dr Wu!

While I enjoyed this book, I find that there are some parts where I wished there were more character developments. There are some characters who were introduced in a small sub-chapter, but we never heard from them afterwards - perhaps it's the author's way of conveying how some people just come and go in our life, but I really wished we could read more about those characters. The second part of the book also felt rushed & sort of hang in a cliff hanger. What happens next, I'm very curious.

[mavis · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty engrossing read for me but unsatisfying conclusion that made me feel what am i supposed to take away from this book? mei choon's story of hardiness was one hell of a ride but there was no "full circle" moment for me - her life is indeed eventful but there's minimal callback to past events and it literally just feels like recounting someone's biography. the most was probably seeing raymond and kim yong get their "just desserts", but! we never get to find out more of the aftermath of the tomb break in which was probably the most exciting event of the story and what about lin teng, his bit felt the most random when he was never mentioned again after making a miraculous recovery, thought he would become more involved in mei choon's life after she helped him out. chen tong's storyline also came to an unexciting end after the first part of the book made me so invested in him. i was expecting the story to show more of him and mei choon being "on the run" and i wished we could have seen more in depth moments between the two.
also i'm sad wan li died so early i did not expect that lol. sounds like a pretty girly name for a guy tho. same with chen fang. sounds more like a girl's name.
wish the ending would at least show mei choon doing something exciting during the japanese invasion arc other than making it out alive again..lol

[Reene Lim · Rating 3 out of 5]

really interesting premise if only it kept to the main character’s perspective. the story’s narrative kept jumping back and forth from main character to minor characters, and in that sense, felt like i was watching (reading) a historical drama series. but it did mean that i felt little to no connection to the characters since we couldn’t deep dive into their personalities and growth.
another that irked me was the constant breaks between scenes! there is so many?! it not only makes the story feel very broken and stunted, but it doesn’t flow either.
the good parts of the book is that there were many small and interesting discussions with regards to a range of topics, war, epidemic diseases, culture, superstitions, religion, relationships between all peoples, colonisation, fascinating stuff. but if you wanted to write about these topics, perhaps a non-fiction book would be best since character building and a defined plot isn’t your strongest skill 😅 i think that format would’ve greatly benefitted from the author’s knowledge. a pity really.
3/5 ⭐️

[Tan Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the well-paced story is filled with twists and turns, from accidental burial in a tomb, quarantine in pandemic city of Harbin, escape from the Penang colonial era underworld, concluding with the fall of Penang in WWII, the character arc of the lead protagonist and overarching theme of the book still remains a bit of a mystery to me as a reader, even having gone through all those epic developments, with the rushed ending as if the author had run out of inspiration to write, thus unfortunately I'll have to rate this 3 ½ stars rating rounded down.

[Noren · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant read. Would have loved a more intricate plot and greater depth in the characters. There were some potential episodes where there could have been more twists and explored a little more like the gangsters she encountered at the brothel, their destiny seemed too quick and easy of an outcome.

[NatalieMZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to give 4 stars, but this genre is not for me. And it get confusing for me. Maybe can put the year or something in the beginning of each chapter.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeang brings to life the story of a Mui Tsai, female domestic servants bought at a young age into affluent Southern Chinese households, through the eyes of Tang Mei Choon. You feel transported across countries as he weaves in her journey through the historical events of the Manchurian plague that occurred in China in 1910, to prostitution in the red-light district in Penang, Malaya in 1921 and the Japanese invasion of Malaya in 1941. A must read for those with an interest in Southeast Asia history!

[v · Rating 3 out of 5]

why is the ending so dark noooo :( would like to mention this book gave me an existential crisis literally over 1 scene and i'm pretty sure that wasn't even supposed to happen!??!?! cool symbolism i had to think for a while but i finally see the irony in 'blue sky' vs the tragedies that mei choon goes through + how the 'blue sky' is a recurring motif in the story. clever, but i can't quite piece together what the author is trying to say. craft was also not as refined as that of sally bong