How We Disappeared

By: Jing-Jing Lee

Narrated by: Angela Lin, Ryun Yu

*A Library Journal “Emerging Stars” Pick*

A beautiful, stunningly ambitious novel set in World War II Singapore about a woman who survived the Japanese occupation and a man who thought he had lost everything—for fans of Pachinko and We Were the Lucky Ones

Singapore, 1942. As Japanese troops sweep down Malaysia and into Singapore, a village is ransacked, leaving only two survivors and one tiny child.

In a neighboring village, seventeen-year-old Wang Di is strapped into the back of a troop carrier and shipped off to a Japanese military brothel where she is forced into sexual slavery as a “comfort woman.” After sixty years of silence, what she saw and experienced still haunts her.

In the year 2000, twelve-year-old Kevin is sitting beside his ailing grandmother when he overhears a mumbled confession. He sets out to discover the truth, wherever it might lead, setting in motion a chain of events he never could have foreseen.

Weaving together two time lines and two very big secrets, this stunning debut opens a window on a little-known period of history, revealing the strength and bravery shown by numerous women in the face of terrible cruelty. Drawing in part on her family’s experiences, Jing-Jing Lee has crafted a profoundly moving, unforgettable novel about human resilience, the bonds of family and the courage it takes to confront the past.

Heartbreaking but good story

Great story. Good narration and different perspective to learn from. I will be researching more on this subject.

Heartbreaking and Important

Comfort women were not a subject I knew much about as an American. This work of fiction, with its threads rooted in truth and experience, felt like a hard and important subject to learn about. Both narrators do an amazing job giving voice to a pair of characters infinitely likable in their flaws, courage, and journey of discovery.

I binged this book over a 24 hour period, unable to keep myself away from it for long before reaching the final notes of music at the end of the last words. This book is remarkable, sad, and hopeful in the resilience of survivors. Well worth your Audible credit, your money, and your time.

Vanitybylg

This is a great book with lots of historical information too. I enjoyed the writer great reading aall the way would recommend this.

Slow

Slow, could not finish. Just slow slow slow. Maybe not my style. Either way not great