"The other Elizabeth Taylor! We read this recently for our classics bookclub and I loved it! A witty but sympathetic novel on growing old and social conformity. Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont is a jewel of a novel." Bob
ISBN 9781844083213
Penang, 1939. Sixteen-year-old Philip Hutton is a loner. Half English, half Chinese and feeling neither, he discovers a sense of belonging in an unexpected friendship with Hayato Endo, a Japanese diplomat.
Philip shows his new friend around his adored island of Penang, and in return Endo trains him in the art and discipline of aikido. But such friendship comes at a terrible price. Tan Twan Eng's masterful debut novel is a haunting and unforgettable story of betrayal, barbaric cruelty, steadfast courage and enduring love.