Items related to The Thorn of Lion City: A Memoir

Lum, Lucy The Thorn of Lion City: A Memoir ISBN 13: 9780007200344

The Thorn of Lion City: A Memoir - Hardcover

 
9780007200344: The Thorn of Lion City: A Memoir
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 

An intense and emotive memoir of one girl’s difficult family upbringing in a Singaporean Chinese family during the Second World War.

Lucy Lum was the third of seven children, born in Singapore in 1933 into a Chinese immigrant family ruled with an iron hand by Popo, her fearsome and superstitious grandmother. Popo is a firm believer in the old ways, in stomach-churning herbalist remedies, in the dubious fortune-telling of mystics, and in mischievous little girls like Lucy knowing their place, and is forever keen to dispense her own wicked brand of justice, much to the despair of her adopted family.

Yet the suffering does not end at home. This is Singapore in the forties, a former British colony now living under the spectre of the invading Japanese – the hungry worms crawling down from the north as Lucy knows them – and fear floods the streets outside the family home. Lucy's father, a kind-hearted and talented linguist, finds himself being used by the occupiers as a translator, and brings back terrifying stories of his merciless employers, family friends blown apart inside their rickety shelters, dead bodies heaped on top of one another by the roadside, that he confides to his daughter under the heavy teak table in the dining room.

‘The Thorn of Lion City’ is a fascinating and honest account of wartime occupation and of a little girl's upbringing in a repressive Chinese family. At times harrowing, at others touching, it breaks the long silence of the Singaporean Chinese and speaks of hardship, family and the softly-spoken, redemptive relationship between a father and daughter.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

'Lucy Lum, who now lives in London, recalls these war years – both domestic and international – with pared-down elegance. The events she recounts are vividly shocking...and are described with a quiet matter-of-factness. But there is nothing resigned or despairing in this account. Instead, her observations are full of emotional weight, a cool anger that is all the more potent in its restraint. But more than anything she loves her father, it is his company she craves, his stories that she longs to hear. One senses that is was his affection and respect that gave the already courageous Lum the strength and determination to survive her childhood with her spirit and hope intact.' Daily Mail

‘“The Thorn of Lion City” is a remarkable story of a matriarchal household in Singapore, full of superstitions and domestic human rights violations and the liberating kindness of a devoted father, against the brutal background of the Japanese invasion. It is wonderfully told and has a bright filament of honesty.’ Hugo Hamilton

‘Set against the Japanese invasion of Singapore, “The Thorn of Lion City “ is a heart-wrenching story of a young girl’s blossoming away from her grandmother’s cruel and repressive Chinese values. Brave and compelling, it opens an important and forgotten page of twentieth-century history.’ Yiyun Li

About the Author:

Lucy Lum was born in Singapore in 1933 and lived through the Japanese occupation during the Second World War. In 1970 she emigrated to London, where she now lives with her family.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherFourth Estate
  • Publication date2007
  • ISBN 10 000720034X
  • ISBN 13 9780007200344
  • BindingHardcover
  • Number of pages240
  • Rating
Buy Used
Condition: Very Good
The book has been read, but is... Learn more about this copy

Shipping: £ 4.80
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.

Destination, rates & speeds

Add to Basket

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780007200351: The Thorn of Lion City: A Memoir

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9780007200351
Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2008
Softcover

  • 9781586486051: The Thorn of Lion City: A Memoir

    Public..., 2008
    Softcover

  • 9780007253807: The Thorn of Lion City

    Fourth..., 2007
    Softcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

Lum, Lucy
Published by Perseus Books Group (2007)
ISBN 10: 000720034X ISBN 13: 9780007200344
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
WorldofBooks
(Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom)

Book Description Hardback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR006946427

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 0.79
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 4.80
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Lum, Lucy
Published by Perseus Books Group (2007)
ISBN 10: 000720034X ISBN 13: 9780007200344
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
WorldofBooks
(Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom)

Book Description Hardback. Condition: Good. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine. Seller Inventory # GOR003812978

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 0.79
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 4.80
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Lum, Lucy
Published by - (2007)
ISBN 10: 000720034X ISBN 13: 9780007200344
Used Hardcover Quantity: 2
Seller:
AwesomeBooks
(Wallingford, United Kingdom)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. The Thorn of Lion City: A Memoir This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780007200344

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 3.42
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 4.49
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Lum, Lucy
Published by Fourth Estate (2007)
ISBN 10: 000720034X ISBN 13: 9780007200344
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Reuseabook
(Gloucester, GLOS, United Kingdom)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Used; Good. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Seller Inventory # CHL6195467

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 1.95
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 7.37
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Lum, Lucy
Published by - - (2007)
ISBN 10: 000720034X ISBN 13: 9780007200344
Used Hardcover Quantity: 2
Seller:
Bahamut Media
(Reading, United Kingdom)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780007200344

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 3.42
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 6.98
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Lum, Lucy
ISBN 10: 000720034X ISBN 13: 9780007200344
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Better World Books Ltd
(Dunfermline, United Kingdom)

Book Description Condition: Very Good. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 40062064-20

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 4.61
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 8
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Lucy Lum
Published by HarperCollins Publishers (2007)
ISBN 10: 000720034X ISBN 13: 9780007200344
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Kennys Bookstore
(Olney, MD, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: Very Good. 2007. First. Hardcover. Clean copy. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # KEX0242205

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 6.20
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 8.32
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Lucy Lum
Published by HarperCollins Publishers (2007)
ISBN 10: 000720034X ISBN 13: 9780007200344
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:

Book Description Condition: Very Good. 2007. First. Hardcover. Clean copy. . . . . Seller Inventory # KEX0242205

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 5.69
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 9
From Ireland to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds