Author(s): ZHIQIANG LIANG

Young Adult

Share

Set in the early years of Singapore’s independence, this sequel to Long Long Time Ago traces the journey of a typical Singaporean family living in a kampong. The story revolves around the life of widow Zhao Di as she struggles to provide for her family amid the rapid changes in the country. She inadvertently inherits her father’s farmland after her two brothers reject it in favour of better jobs. She takes on the back-breaking work of rearing pigs and labouring in a coal factory to make ends meet. In spite of events that threaten to break her down and tear her family apart, Zhao Di remains indomitable, and the bonds that the family forged with friends and neighbours in the kampong enables them to make the most out of the government’s expropriation of their land for development.

Relive the many challenging moments Singapore faced as it emerged from being an underdeveloped nation and transformed itself into the city it is today through this beautifully illustrated book.