This was an amazing read. I loved the fact that it had a slow (but quite steady) pace. It forced me to slow down and read the pages. The author's descriptions of the times and places were very rich and once I googled some of the locations and theme's of the book I was able to have such a crisp and vivid picture of the characters and story in my mind. Personally I enjoy a book that makes me look up words or use the internet to gain a better understanding. Malaysia, and SE Asia during WWII are topics I have very little knowledge of and are not typically things that draw me in, but the story of Yun Ling was compelling. As I read in another review, this is a book that leaves me wanting more and made me sad when I came to the end. A great read if you want to slow down and learn about a time and place about which you may not know much. I have so much history to look at and read!