The Mouse Deer Kingdom

‘Chiew-Siah Tei is a master storyteller, and a rare talent, with that magical ability of being able to weave a spell over her readers, with riveting plots and prose that glows with life’ Time Out

A deep and affecting exploration of assimilation and displacement, migration and adaptation . . . Chiew-Siah Tei's understanding of disgrace, ruin and ambition, human cruelty, homesickness, heartache and the illusion of happiness, along with her grasp of the nature of commerce, greed, prejudice and hate, make this a heartfelt storyAsian Review of Books

It's an extraordinary story, little known if at all in this country - but what enchanted me is that it's primarily such a highly sophisticated storyteller's book. It draws on ancient folk-tales from the Malaysian forest - and on the history of Chinese commercial emigration at the start of the twentieth century - cross-cutting between them to turn our conventional notions of colonial expansion and exploitation inside out and upside down. I found it hard to put down.Hilary Spurling

'[A] skilful tale of love, betrayal, and making a fresh start . . . a story full of complexity and intelligence . . . [a] rewarding and important novel' Scotsman