Shadow Theatre [Hardcover]

Fiona Cheong (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2002

Set in Singapore, a tale of friendship, love, violence, multiple murders, and the supernatural.

Shakilah Nair has returned, after fifteen years in the United States, pregnant but with not even the glimmer of a ring upon her finger. Her former teacher's loyal maid, her onetime best friend, her own mother, the schoolgirls who have heard rumors, the woman whom she loved, and other women recount events connected with Shakilah and the mysterious Diamond Woman for whom a magic potion was once prepared by the local bomah. They reveal the dark undercurrents in the lives of these women of Chinese, Indian, Malay, and mixed ancestry, all of whom believe in the all-pervasive power of seen and unseen spirits.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The voices of women in contemporary Singapore and the spirits who permeate their world shimmer in this elegant if muted second novel by Cheong (The Scent of the Gods). Mystery and omens swirl around Shakilah Nair, a writer and university professor who has returned to her home in Singapore pregnant and unmarried after 15 years in the United States. Shakilah is the object of speculation by her girlhood friend Rose Sim and other neighborhood women and girls of assorted Chinese, Indian, Malay and mixed ancestries including Shakilah's own troubled mother, Valerie, who has secrets of her own. As Shakilah prepares for the birth of her baby, the women experience visitations and sightings of ghosts and spirits. Employing alternating narratives a device paralleled by the book Shakilah herself is writing, which has been rejected by her publisher as having "too many voices" Cheong allows hints of violent undercurrents and tragic events from the past that foreshadow the future. While this subdued unfolding lends itself well to the overall theme, it can be frustratingly coy and slow going; some facts remain puzzlingly opaque and new narrators are introduced to discuss the principals, rendering their stories more distant than might be desired. But Cheong's delicate layering and poetic language rescue the narrative, and there's no avoiding the emotional punch delivered by this lushly exotic story of mothers, daughters, friendship and tragedy.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In her second novel, the Singapore-born Cheong (The Scent of the Gods), who now teaches at the University of Pittsburgh, presents a view of her native land that is exotic and mysterious, even surreal, as she portrays a segment of its culture not often seen in contemporary fiction. Drawing on a centuries-old tradition of belief in ghosts and vampires both benevolent and malevolent, Cheong offers a gripping story told from various points of view, culminating in a surprise ending that keeps the reader guessing. The narrative focuses on Shakira Nair, who had left for the United States many years before and now returns to Singapore pregnant and unmarried without even hinting who the father may be. The story also involves a traditional medicine woman and a ghost child who has been seen prowling the cemetery. Who she really is or was is caught in a snarled mesh of rumor, insinuation, fear, superstition, and prejudice. The novel is told in flashback form and incorporates "Singlish," a blend of the Singaporean language with English, which adds flavor and authenticity to the narrative. A glossary of Singaporean terms as well as popular slang helps to illuminate a story strong in intrigue and mystery and colored by the human tendency to believe what we feel rather than what the evidence presents. Recommended for all public libraries and academic libraries with an interest in diversifying their collections. Michelle Reale, Elkins Park Free Lib., PA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Soho Press (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569472874
• ISBN-13: 978-1569472873
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,658,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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