The Storm We Made

A Novel

By: Vanessa Chan

Narrated by: Samantha Tan

NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK
* LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION 2024 FIRST NOVEL PRIZE

In this “espionage-laden family epic” (Vanity Fair), an ordinary housewife becomes an unlikely spy—and her dark secrets will test even the most unbreakable ties.

Malaya, 1945. Cecily Alcantara’s family is in terrible danger: her fifteen-year-old son, Abel, has disappeared, and her youngest daughter, Jasmin, is confined in a basement to prevent being pressed into service at the comfort stations. Her eldest daughter Jujube, who works at a tea house frequented by drunk Japanese soldiers, becomes angrier by the day.

Cecily knows two things: that this is all her fault; and that her family must never learn the truth.

A decade prior, Cecily had been desperate to be more than a housewife to a low-level bureaucrat in British-colonized Malaya. A chance meeting with the charismatic General Fujiwara lured her into a life of espionage, pursuing dreams of an “Asia for Asians.” Ten years later as the war reaches its apex, her actions have caught up with her. Now her family is on the brink of destruction—and she will do anything to save them.

Told from the perspectives of four unforgettable characters, The Storm We Made spans years of pain, triumph, and perseverance. “The tenderness in its details, the ordinary ways that these characters love and laugh in the face of the extraordinary…Chan shows us, with clarity and care, how the truest mirror comes from the intimacy of human connection” (The New York Times Book Review).

©2024 Vanessa Chan (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

Critic reviews

"Samantha Tan masterfully narrates a complex story set in Malaya during the British and Japanese occupations. The novel centers around Cecily and her children, Abel, Jujube, and Jasmin, as they navigate life under colonial rule and later, under harsh Japanese control. Initially a spy against British rule, Cecily dreams of an “Asia for Asians.” However, the grim reality of life under Japanese oppression, filled with fear and brutality, alters her perspective. The story unfolds through the viewpoints of Cecily and her children across two timelines, 1937 and 1945. Tan's adept narration brings authenticity to Cecily, a character tormented by guilt and worry. Tan’s calm, structured delivery makes this a challenging yet engaging and enlightening listen."

Brutality of War

This is a difficult review for me, because this just is not my kind of book. Having said that, however, it is excellently written, and tells a story worth hearing. Once again, you see the high price that women pay for simply being women. Their strength is astounding, but they never realize it when it’s happening. I do not know much about Malaysia or it’s history during World War II. This book certainly makes you appreciate more the price that is paid for freedom, even when you were not really free.

Deeply descriptive

Gripping and emotional. Kept me listening for hours and wondering what would happen. I feel like I know each character intimatley.

History of a lost time

I liked that the author took the time to tell a story that very few people would remember

Touching story. Awesome performance.

Wow, this one got me! I have spent years of my life in Southeast Asia and loved hearing the accents the performer used in her reading. Such a sad time in history brought to life so realistically. Thank you

Confusing

This story goes in to many directions. In my opinion it was very hard to keep each character straight. It felt like a lot of work to listen to it. I can’t imagine trying to read it.

When will a family be safe from war?

This book chronicles the history of one family and its members. One by one, they are removed from their home as the Japanese overtake their homeland. The story of how each family member is treated and deals with the reality of Japanese occupation makes this novel a unique story of survival and destruction like few other stories of that period.

Realistic, hence not always a happy ending

I enjoyed the book, not only historically but in learning each character and the struggles they faced externally during war time, but internally. Well written.

spellbinding

It's an amazing story! I want to see a movie adaptation! I was intrigued by every chapter. I was also moved to research the historical context of the book.

Powerful "Page" Turner

Wonderfully powerful historical fiction. You're deeply involved with each character and your heart breaks when theirs breaks. wonderful reading performance as well.

Good effort for first novel but lacks depth

I wanted to like this first novel by V. Chan, but found it superficial. The characters are not sufficiently developed, and an opportunity was missed to provide much richer context as to what life in Malaya was like before, during and after the war. There is just enough there to give the reader some idea of what it must have been like, but it’s thin at best. I didn’t really feel or believe the passion that led to the main character becoming a spy, and we barely register what kind of information is turned over to the enemy by this spy. It seems inconsequential to history - was it? Yet we are supposed to believe that everything that happened to the family was the result of those actions. The lack of depth and richness of the story in the early pages carries through to the end. This will not be a memorable book or story for me.
The performance is grating at times, when the reader takes on various voices and accents that are not always accurate and sometimes are just plain annoying.
The writing itself is uneven. At times, there are sentences that hint at the potential for better, more melodious prose. But those sentences are lost amongst the rest of the book. It’s not badly written - it just doesn’t quite stand out.
Overall - frankly I was hoping for more after seeing an interview with the author. She mentioned that the more she was writing, the more the story was coming to her. And perhaps that’s why it feels like the story is thin. It’s a historical novel where the author doesn’t really dive into history all that much.
I do hope Vanessa Chan keeps writing and targets a second novel. I think she has the potential for a better novel after getting her feet (very) wet with this first book.