It's also a book for those interested in history and politics, the development and rise of modern China, through the lens and pen of an extraordinary person, a formidable intellect, a gifted prolific writer - I want to stress an underrated here - writer in not only the literary world but also an underrated global personality.

 

To my mind she is a giant crossing, challenging and overcoming racial, gender, cultural. political and ideological barriers not just in literature and in her writing but also in her life.

 

Many notable, famous and acclaimed writers who have won prizes in literature, even the Nobel Prize winners, lived a different life from what they wrote about. She, together with luminaries such as George Orwell and Leo Tolstoy were definitely deserving of the Nobel prize for literature but were left out for political, ideological and in her case, racial reasons.

 

She was
independent and resilient - no bodekking.
intellectually curious and articulate. Always challenging the status quo
passionate and emphatic - no pussyfooting
bold and daring
open to experiences, characterized by existential living, trusting her instincts and values, and being creative.

 

For the book, Dr. Kuek made the right decision by focusing on the six volume autobiographical work for her dissertation and the book. Her introductory chapter - just 15 pages - is exemplary in weaving the personal narrative of SYs early and later life, the unprecedented changes taking place within Chinese society and the impact on China by western powers and Japan - all intent in craving out pieces of China. This attempt to bring down and divide China continues today and testifies to the relevance of SYs writing for the present and younger generation

 

Han Suyin wrote 4 books while in Malaya and Spore of which her 1956 novel *And the Rain My Drink was the most acclaimed. It has been described as a pivotal work in postcolonial literature in our part of the world. It offers a nuanced critique of British colonialism during the Malayan Emergency (1948–1960). Its significance has been said to span political, historical, cultural, and literary domains

 

A critic wrote this

And the Rain My Drink remains significant for humanizing the Malayan Emergency’s victims and dissecting colonialism’s moral ambiguities. Its blend of testimony, fiction, and lyrical activism cemented Han Suyin’s status as a critical Asian intellectual, while its republication affirms enduring relevance. The novel is essential for understanding Southeast Asia’s anticolonial struggles and the power of literature to challenge the empire in several ways

my conclusion and strong concern that our country has not treated Suyin well.

If she and her work have been underrated abroad, she has been treated worse and marginalized more in the official history and narratives of our country. This to me is because she was probably the most prominent and outspoken anti colonial, leftist intellectual and personality of her time in modern Malaya.

 

HSY work in Malaysia and Singapore awaits further research and analysis.

 

There’s one important omission - there has been no translation of HSY work in Bahasa. Perhaps a start can be made

Two final suggestions to honour HSY

HSY studies centre, a prominent street or public building