"Rice Bowl" by Suchen Christine Lim
Details
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Country: Singapore
Written in: 1984
Pages: 240
In honour of Singapore's birthday, we celebrate by reading the first novel by the country's own Suchen Christine Lim. The book dives into the nuances of young love and idealism in times of uncertainty, and gives a rare glimpse of a young nation’s rebellious spirit.
From Popular:
A powerful story of young love and idealism set in Singapore in the 1960s, a time of political uncertainties and economic insecurity.
Young, passionate and idealistic, Sister Marie rejects the conformity of her first love, a Singaporean police inspector, and embraces the liberalism of her second love, an American missionary. Fresh into university, she leads a group of students to question the values of a nation gripped by fear of the government and loss of their rice bowl. They organise a protest march against the Vietnam War, which leads to a riot, detention and deportation of the workers they try to help. In the midst of this, a student meets a tragic death, while a lecturer and a suspected Communist agent provocateur goes crazy in his attempts to radicalise the students-workers’ movement.
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New to the Hungry Hundred Book Club? Here's what you need to know:
- Read the book (If you don't manage to finish it by the meetup date, don't worry. As long as you're not going to be too disappointed by spoilers, you're still welcome to join.)
- Come to the meeting, usually (but not always!) on the last Sunday of every month.
- Be prepared to order food/drink at the venue to show our appreciation for letting us use their space. This is a requirement. A lot of time and effort has been put into finding a place that will accommodate our group without an outrageous minimum charge or rental fee, so please show your respect and support for the restaurant that's letting us use their space.
- Discuss! It's a casual conversation, so don't be afraid to ask questions and let us know what you think.
- Starting in May 2026, attendance fees collected will be split 50% towards Meetup platform fees, and 50% donated to the Singapore Book Council (or other Singapore based charitable organisation). Once Meetup platform fees are covered, 100% will be given to charity.