Why a Booktrail?
1948: A woman follows her husband to Singapore but the expat life is one of danger
Journey to Paradise
What you need to know before your trail
Though their life in ex-pat society is full of luxury, Miranda can’t help feeling like an outsider, and her relationship with Gerry becomes increasingly distant.
When doctor Nick Wythenshaw encourages Miranda to work within the local community, she finds new purpose away from her protected world that opens her eyes to a new way of life.
But as riots erupt across the region and danger draws close to home, Miranda must make an impossible choice.
Will she sacrifice everything she holds dear to find happiness?
Travel Guide
Trek down to Tanglin for a journey to Paradise
The author states that her inspiration for this book came to her after having lived in Singapore in the 1980s. Her mother in law lived there in the 1950s so this provided more inspiration for the novel.
She says she became aware of what life would have been like for wives and women living out there at this time, how marriages suffered and how it was hard for them to pack their bags and return home before the Matrimonial Causes Act of 1973 came into force.
The author was also interested in the political and racial divide of Singapore at the time. Themes in the novel include communism in China, the Batang Kai incident and the social injustice of the time as highlighted by the Martha Hollande case.
The city of Tanglin is evoked well, with all the sights, sounds, smells and other details helping to build a wide ranging view of a city undergoing change.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: The Journey to Paradise
Destination/location: Tanglin, Singapore Author/guide: Paula Greenlees Departure Time: 1948
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