Daren

Rowena Hawkins has written a summary of her life in Singapore as the daughter of a senior policeman in the 1960s. Singapore at this time was evolving from a British Colony to being a part of the Federation of Malaysia, then on to independence. Her parents, both of whom were descendants of Sultans exiled to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) from Batavia and Sumatra, emigrated to Singapore where their children were born - Rowena with her brother Ari and elder sister Yuwari. Ensconced in their colonial bungalow on New Bridge Road, the family were under no illusion they lived a privileged life.

Hawkins' writing is deceptively simple, outlining events and anecdotes from her childhood while providing an underlying understanding of the cultural & ethnological situations and family relationships. Her nostalgic outlook of events is not without scorn of the behavior of children in the present day, as she describes the canings handed down by her authoritarian mother who ruled the household, where even her father fell into line. While the author was fairly quick to step out of line, her brother was even more so, and was quick to share of divert the blame; this makes for plenty of amusement throughout the book. The book is also an affectionate portrait of her father to whom she was understandably close.

The book itself works well divided into short chapters in largely linear timelines and introduces the reader to her family, household full of servants and the wider family as they progress. School, piano lessons, supernatural events, religious celebrations, her brothers coming of age ceremony, family weddings, a visit to Ceylon and any number of other life events fill out the chapters. This short memoir also clearly captures a view of a Singapore now forever changed.

This easy, yet fulfilling read is worth seeking out.

4 stars.

For transparency, the publisher provided me with a copy for review. Thanks Earnshaw Books.