A Better Life

A Better Life tells the captivating story of Englishwoman Ada’s fight for survival against the backdrop of the infamous Battle of Singapore. This novel portrays the country’s occupation from Ada’s perspective, depicting her personal fight to survive as a prisoner of war and then forge a new life in New Zealand, which throws a new set of challenges her way.

What made you write your book?

I was born in Singapore to mixed-race parents. I lived there till the age of four when my family moved to New Zealand (though my father remained in Singapore).

Although it’s not an autobiographical novel, Part 1 is based on the stories my mother told me about life in Singapore during and after the War. Part 2 is based on my own experiences growing up in New Zealand.

I wanted to write the book as a tribute to my mother who suffered greatly during the war (she was interned in Changi by the Japanese) and then struggled to bring up her family as a single parent in New Zealand.

What did your Singapore research involve?

There were three principal sources of information.

The first was books – I read widely about the history of Singapore, in particular the wartime period. Then, there were family reminiscences. I absorbed endless stories from my wider family about their life in Singapore. Finally, my personal experiences were important, too. I visited Singapore on a number of occasions in order to walk around the areas where the characters in the book would have lived and to see other key landmarks. I visited Changi Museum where I discovered my mother’s internment records and was able to see a cell like the one in which she was held. I got great pleasure from seeing a photo of my father displayed in the Singapore City Museum, too.