NPR's Book of the Day cover image

Two historical fiction novels focus on women's lives during wars in Southeast Asia

NPR's Book of the Day

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A Housewife Turned Spy in 1930s British Malaya

This chapter explores a historical fiction novel set during World War II, focusing on the experiences of Cecily Alcantara, a dissatisfied housewife who becomes a spy. The speaker discusses the lack of Southeast Asian narratives in discussions of the Pacific theater during wars and shares their motivation for writing these stories based on their grandmother's experiences.

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