A mother finds out her son is gay; a daughter finds out her two mothers are lesbians; a niece stumbles upon the body of her dead uncle dressed in his wife’s sarong kebaya; and an old man’s nascent feelings for a Filipino maid lead him back to his suppressed art.
The Lies that Build A Marriage, Suchen Christine Lim’s short stories of the unsung, unsaid and uncelebrated in Singapore, delve beneath the sunlit island’s prosperity and coded decorum. Her characters chip away prejudice and sculpt it into acceptance of the other.
The Lies that Build a Marriage has been shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize 2008! Congratulations Suchen! For more information about the author and her works, please visit Suchen’s website.
About the Author
Suchen Christine Lim was born in Malaysia but she grew up in Singapore. She is the author of Fistful of Colours, awarded the inaugural Singapore Literature Prize 1992; A Bit of Earth, shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize 2004; Ricebowl and Gift from The Gods. Other publications include a play co-authored with Ophelia Ooi, The Amah: A Portrait in Black and White, Short Play Merit Prize 1989; Stories of the Overseas Chinese, a non-fiction book, 2005; and several children’s books written for schools.
Reviews
“This is a book that deals with controversial subjects” The Straits Times
