The Gift of Rain-Tan Twan Eng

Huh? Mamarazzi read so fast. 508 pages finished in two days. Gosh..must've been a good book.

This book is about Penang, 1939 just before the Japanese Occupation and a half English, half Chinese boy name Philip Hutton. He doesn't feel that he is fully accepted by the Chinese community nor the English coz of his parentage. To them, he would always be a half bred.

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This is until he met Hayato Endo, a Japanese Diplomat who leased an island from Philip's father. Endo then become his teacher and a friend. Theirs is a complicated relationship with a hints of past life and reincarnation.Many had speak to him and his father of his "friendship" with a Japanese.

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The day come when the Japanese took over Penang and he had to agree to work with them in order to protect his family. He had secretly helped many people but on some instances he had to stand there and do nothing.

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For example, there was one part where the driver of his family, Mr Lim, had caused him much pain. Philip was there when the Japanese soldiers went to Mr Lim's daughter's village and captured her husband and subsequently executed her husband. They wanted to take her too but Philip intervened. But the daughter committed suicide. Mr Lim blamed Philip.

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Mr Lim in his warped mind went running to the Japanese and "informed" in Philip's sister of assisting those anti-Japanese group. This caused her death. Not only that, Mr Lim also informed on Philip's aunt which result, Philip having to witness her torture and subsequent death. It's like Mr Lim broadcasting to the whole world his own incorrect perception.

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Cis! This darn informer really made Mamarazzi mad. Cikit-cikit nak buat hal. Really no better work to do ah? Philip was being kind and had wanted to help Mr Lim's daughter and yet she committed suicide. Not his fault what. Not only that, this had also cause harm to Philip's relationship with his father who had misunderstand his action. Well, maybe this is why people say "No Good Turns Goes Unpunished". Damn Mr Lim.

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This is a really good book. Must be good book la or else Mamarazzi won't be so "Kan Cheong" burning midnight oil. Must read