Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. As intriguing as the premise is, I just wasn't able to continue the story. I won't be leaving a full review at this time.

This was an intense read. Chan writes with great detail, but isn't very evocative. I'm not sure that I would recommend this book to anyone because of the intensity of the content and the lackluster story/characters.

Malaya, 1935. Cecily’s husband is a minor civil servant who admires the British he kowtows to, but Cecily despises them. When the chance comes to act as a spy for the Japanese, she does so, with her goal an Asia for Asians. She cannot fathom that the Japanese will be a crueler occupier than the British.

Malaya, 1945. On his fifteenth birthday, Cecily’s only son is abducted and taken to a brutal Japanese labor camp. After having to hide, day after day, in a cellar to avoid lecherous Japanese soldiers, Cecily’s younger daughter runs away; the family cannot find any trace of her. Having given up her dream of university, Cecily’s older daughter works at a teashop, her small income and tireless care for her dwindling family the only things holding them together. Still, her father’s health fails and her mother grapples with insanity.

Chan’s story of the Japanese occupation of Malaysia and its effect on a single family is extraordinary. Her characters are realistic with guilt, dreams and fears, motivations, loyalties, and failings. Her development of time and place is superb: the staggering heat and humidity, the rain, the mosquitoes, the smell of mint pomade, the disappointment of rice thickened with tapioca to make it go farther, the stick and stink of an unwashed kitchen floor. The fear and grief, the anger and despair of this family are tangible. The disasters possible at the dawn of each day keep the reader on edge. History says that soon the Japanese will be forced out of Malaysia, but which members of this family will survive? Chan shows that the casualties of war are not always the soldiers. Highly recommended.

An absolutely gorgeous and brutal book about a topic I've never seen in literature--the japanese occupation of malaysia during world war ii. A page turner, beautifully written--i'll be watching and following all of Chan's books.

The Storm We Made is a heartbreaking story about the Japanese occupation of Malaysia during World War II. Cecily is taken in by General Fuijwara's charm and begins working with Fuijwara to have a sense of purpose. She thinks nothing of spying for him, believing the outcome will prove worth it in the end.The ousting of the British by the Japanese did not bring the rewards Cecily hoped for. If anything, it brought with it more suffering, fear, and violence. Cecily's guilt weighs heavily on her and only grows when her fifteen-year-old son, Abel, disappears.
The strength of the novel is in the characters who are all fully developed, flaws and all. The Storm We Made follows four different characters and spans over a decade of time. I often found myself cursing humanity for our cruelty and lack of compassion for others as I read the pages of The Storm We Made. It was not an easy read in terms of subject matter and had me in tears throughout, and more so by the end. I will not soon forget this novel or its characters.

Thank you netgalley for this eARC!

The year is 1935, and the book takes place in Malaya. Cecily is the Mistress to a bureaucrat, hoping for more in the relationship. Fast forward to 1945, her children start going missing, and she knows it has something to do with a decade before.

I really liked this piece of historical fiction!!

Many thanks to Net Galley and Simon Element for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Chan’s novel explores the plight of the Malayan people under foreign rule. In 1935 the British were in control but by 1945 the Japanese had established their dominance. In the earlier timeline, Cecily’s husband works for the British but she has secretly been recruited to spy by a Japanese General. In 1945 Cecily is aware that there are threats all around and her earlier duplicity may catch up with her. Her older daughter Jujube has become a server at a tea house, subject to the whims of the Japanese. When Cecily’s son Abel suddenly disappears, she has no idea where he is and she fears the worst. Now she is consumed with anxiety for her younger daughter Jasmine who could be stolen and forced to work at a “comfort station.”

Cecily’s children make up the other narrators in the later timeline. They tell of their own struggles under Japanese rule. Abel’s story is especially riveting and harrowing. His captivity is cringe-worthy and is reminiscent of other stories of boys under duress like in Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys. Jujube’s work at the tea house is not as harsh, but it is emotionally draining. Little Jasmine is oblivious to the dangers around her and she spends most of her time with a badly scarred orphan. The children’s lives are at the mercy of the cruel invaders while the mother is desperate to keep her earlier actions secret and do what she must to protect them.

Besides the background story of foreign invasion, the novel focuses on betrayal. It also highlights the ups and downs of the countries who have set their sights on controlling a foreign territory. Both the British and the Japanese must deal with antipathy from the Malayans and the threats to their continued domination.

Setting the book in Malaya brings a fresh perspective since most stories of historic Japanese dominance are set in Korea or China. Cecily is not a sympathetic character and her actions betray her true self. Her children, on the other hand, are innocents caught up in the political intrigue. Their survival is at the root of the novel.

I didn't love this. The writing was off putting, some of the words and lines were really crude and it was hard to follow..

This was an educational read. I almost wish all stories of colonization was shared in the same way because, usually, Britain or the U.S. screws up the situation in the end, but you never get to hear from the voices in the midst of the situation until way after the fact, at least not until recent history.

Thank you Libro.fm / Simon and Schuster Audio, for the ALC and Mary Sue Rucci Books, #partner, for an advanced copy of The Storm We Made in exchange for my honest review.

This is the type of historical fiction I love reading, despite how heartbreaking the story is. A debut novel inspired by the author’s family, this book takes a look at Malaya before, during and after WWII.

With the dual times and having the story told from multiple points of view, it really puts you into the story, seeing the impacts of both the British and Japanese invasions. We see firsthand what life was like under these different rules and while at times it was not easy to be in the different points of view, it was very captivating the way it was written and these are the stories that need to be told. We can’t shy away from the truths of war and what really happened. The devastations of colonization, the horrors that come with captivity, the survival, the secrets – it’s hard to take and yet told with compassion.

The writing of this story is beautifully done and I found myself completely immersed in the book. The characters all come to life and I particularly loved having both adult and child perspectives – it really gave such a unique look at how this impacted everyone and making me more emotionally invested. I happened to pair the print copy with the audio which helped with the pronunciations but having the physical on hand really helped keep track of all the characters – there are a lot and initially this is a bit burdensome.

I read historical fiction to learn and this one sure did that and more. I can’t wait to see what is next from Vanessa Chan…whatever it is, I’ll be picking it up!


Audio thoughts: This was narrated by Samantha Tan and she did a phenomenal job with it, bringing an emotional depth to the story that was needed.

What a remarkable book! With the volumes of books written about World War II, this is a welcomed addition to the discussion of what went on in Malaya during that time.
This is historical fiction at its best. The plot centers on the parents and children of the Alcantara family. Told from their differing perspectives, the story was always gripping while examining how each one felt regarding what was then occurring. The terror and inhumanity of the Japanese invasion was recounted in such a comprehensive manner, and I learned so much.
Chan's writing is so expressive. She conveys the dread, revulsion and disgust of war's toll on humanity exceptionally. Well done!

A historical fiction set in Malaya during the WWII, this book is a gripping read. Narrated through alternating perspectives of Cecily, a young mother and wife to a civil servant working for the British, followed by the perspectives of Cecily’s children during the terrible period of Japanese occupation that destroys all their lives. I was gripped by the story and I appreciate the author's tackling of a complex and difficult themes throughout the book.
Thank you to the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review.

A Historical Fiction novel about Cecily Alcantara in Malaysia, 1945, during the occupation of Malaysia.

Cecily's family is in trouble. Her son was sold to a camp. Her oldest daughter works at a local teahouse where drunks frequent. She gets angrier as the days progress. Her youngest is hidden away so she isn't taken away from soldiers. She becomes so frustrated she runs away.

Cecily blames her world crumbling on her time as a spy a decade ago. She would spy with a general named Fujiwara who she falls in love with even though they are both married.

We have four POVs, Cecily, and her three children. I haven't read a book on Malaysia before. What a heartbreaking novel.

Rich in historical detail, this story taught me much about Malayasia during WWII although it was called Malaya then. I love learning new things about this period of time, and the story was compelling.
Many thanks to Simon Element and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have not enjoyed a novel as much as Vanessa Chan's THE STORM WE MADE in ages. Better yet, this is such an important story. We rarely hear about what happened in the Asia Pacific region during and around WWII, so to have a story that explores the British and Japanese occupation of Malaysia during that time period feels monumental. And it's super well written. I was captivated by the story and its characters. I look forward to reading Chan's next work whenever that is published.

I really enjoyed this story. My only complaint was wanting more about the characters because I adored them all. I loved the alternating perspectives and it was really refreshing to read a historical fiction story that was different from the norm! Sooo so good!

I knew nothing about the Japanese invasion of Malaya during World War II so I learned a lot reading THE STORM WE MADE. Told in dual timelines before and during the war, the novel revolves around the Alcantara family and how matriarch Cecily's choices impact those she loves. It's not an easy book to read but @vanjchan's writing is hard to put down. Her personal connection to the story is detailed in the author's note at the beginning and it's interesting to see how the details she learned from her own grandmother play out. I'm not surprised it was a GMA's book club pick - it's truly impressive debut that's beautifully narrated by @samanthatanofficial.

Thanks to Simon Element and Mary Sue Rucci Books for the #gifted copy.

In a world where you can read whatever you choose, I choose not to read books where children get sexually assaulted. I know this makes me seem like a wimpy reader but hey. With children of my own, I just CAN'T. So when a young boy child gets raped by a soldier/guard at the beginning, I had to step away.

Title: The Storm We Made
Author: Vanessa Chan
Narrated by: Samantha Tan
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Length: Approximately 10 hours and 52 minutes
Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio. Thank you @simonandschuster #BookClubFavorites for the free books!

Do you like storms or do they make you nervous? I have always loved rainstorms, which is probably why I became a water resources engineer. I once had a professor say that you needed to lay in the grass in the rain to see how the water travels across the land to truly be a water resources engineer.

The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan is a deep look into how World War II impacted the Malaysian people through the lens of one family mostly set in waning days of the war in 1945. This is told through four points of view from one family:

• Cecily, the mother, tells her story ten years in the past. In the present she lives under the guilt that in the past, she helped a Japanese spy to gather data from her husband. Her husband worked for the public works department and his work provided targets to for the Japanese to hit to take over Malaysia. She is excited by her work as a spy and the thought of getting rid of the British to have a free Malaysia.

• Abel is Cecily’s only son. He does not show up at home on his fifteenth birthday. The country was experiencing the disappearance of many young men who were conscripted to build a railroad for the Japanese. Abel faces unspeakable abuse.

• Jujube is Cecily’s oldest daughter. She works for a tea house and befriends a Japanese teacher who think she reminds him of his daughter back in Japan. He is distressed about how the barbarian Americans targeted the innocents in the war with their atomic bombs, not realizing the hypocrisy on how the Japanese are abusing the Malaysian civilians.

• Jasmin in the very young daughter, about seven years old in 1945. She is innocent and spends much of her time locked in the basement so she will not be kidnapped for a Japanese comfort station. She meets a new friend, and her life will never be the same.

What I liked about this book:
• This book had me deeply ponder the horrors of World War II on the Malaysian people. I did not previously know about how WWII impacted Malaysia. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

• The main characters were well developed, and I cared about them. The secondary characters were also three dimensional, such as Bingley/Fujiwara (the Japanese spy), Mr. Takahashi (Jujube’s Japanese customer) Freddie (Abel’s best friend), and Yuki (Jasmin’s friend).

• The storylines all combined at the end for a stunning conclusion.

• I liked the map and brief Malaysia historical timeline at the beginning of the book.

• The forward is very personal and lays the background for the novel. “In Malaysia, our grandparents love us by not speaking. More specifically, they do not speak about their lives from 1940-1945, the period when the Japanese Imperial Army invaded Malaya (what Malaysia was called before independence), toss ed the British colonizers out, and turned a quiet nation into one that was at war with itself.”

• The narrator of this audiobook, Samantha Tan, was great and brought a different voice to the different characters.

Favorite Quotes:
“She relives the crack of pain that incapacitated her when she realized the price of this war was innocence, and the girls had paid, without knowing why.”

“Teenage boys had begun to disappear.” – Great first line.

Overall, The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan is a World War II novel that shows the horror of the war in Malaysia, and I will be thinking about this one for a long time.

First of all, let me just say that this book definitely did not read like a debut to me. The writing flowed beautifully, the characters were fully fleshed out and developed, and the historical as well as cultural details were meticulously rendered to the point that I felt completely immersed and transported to the time and place of the story (Japanese-occupied Malaya during WWII). One of the things I love about historical fiction is its ability to bring awareness to events / people / situations, etc., in history through the means of an engaging story, with the best ones often triggering a desire to read up on the subject matter more after finishing the book itself. In this case, even though I was already familiar with the Japanese occupation of various Asian countries during WWII (given my Chinese background, I grew up hearing endless stories about the antagonism between China and Japan during that time), I still felt compelled to read more about the events mentioned in the book (specifically, the Japanese invasion and occupation of Malaysia from 1941 to 1945). In her author letter, Vanessa Chan mentions her inspiration for the book being from her grandparents, who were initially reluctant to talk about those Occupation years, but ultimately relented and provided her with the many insights into how they survived that time period, many details of which she eventually incorporated into her story.

The angle that Chan ended up taking with this story — having it revolve around a wife and mother in British-colonized Malaya who provides intelligence to a Japanese general that ultimately ushers in a brutal occupation — was an interesting and unique one. When the story opens in February 1945, Cecily’s family is in a bad spot: her husband Gordon, formerly a high-ranking bureaucrat in the British-run colonial government, has been reduced to doing physical labor at a sheet-metal factory; her teenage son Abel has just disappeared, following the fate of other boys in the town who were kidnapped to a camp guarded by Japanese soldiers; her youngest daughter Jasmin has to hide in the basement all day to avoid being recruited into service at the comfort stations; and her eldest daughter Jujube is pushed to the brink of madness trying to protect her little sister while also attempting to maintain order in the household. Seeing her family coming apart at the seams, Cecily understands that this is all her doing — we are then taken back to 10 years earlier, where we get Cecily’s backstory and how she came to meet the man who would change her life forever: Shigeru Fujiwara, a charismatic Japanese general who convinces Cecily to work with him to achieve the goal of “Asia for Asians” by overthrowing the British colonial government in Malaya. Their efforts prove successful and the Japanese invade a few years later. Unfortunately, the Japanese occupiers turn out to be cruel and callous, killing “more people in three years than the British colonizers had in fifty.” The rest of the story alternates between these two time periods as well as between the perspectives of Cecily and her three children, with the timelines eventually merging as the war comes to an end and we see the impact of Cecily’s actions on both her family as well as on the community at large.

This was one of those books that I almost finished in one sitting, as the story was so compelling that I found myself unable to stop turning the pages. With that said however, this was also a difficult and exhausting read due to the heavy subject matter — while this was expected given the premise going into it, what I didn’t expect was the emotional depth of the characters, who were each written in ways that made it hard not to feel for them in some capacity, despite their actions. As I was reading, I was honestly preparing myself to hate both Fujiwara and Cecily, but when I got to the end, well, let’s just say that I had to rethink my feelings about them (and I’m still thinking about it, even now).

One of the things that also struck me about this book was how much I resonated with certain aspects of it — not the parts about espionage or the war of course, but rather the complexity of the feelings and circumstances that inform some of the characters’ decisions. I think this complexity is best described by Chan herself in her author’s note where she states: “I wrote about inherited pain, womanhood, mothers, daughters, and sisters, and how the choices we make reverberate through the generations of our families and communities in ways we often can’t predict. I wrote about carrying the legacy of colonization in your body, about being drawn to a toxic man, about complicated friendships, about living a life in fragments, about the ambiguity of right and wrong when survival is at stake.” Indeed, I can relate to nearly all of these things due to having encountered them in some form in my own life. Perhaps this is also why I was able to empathize with many of the characters, even the unlikable ones who made the worst of decisions — with Cecily specifically, her actions were inexcusable and unforgivable of course, but she also paid the ultimate price for what she did…whether what she endured was punishment enough, that will be for each reader to determine.

Received ARC from Marysue Rucci Books via NetGalley.