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Wasn't sure if the book was going to be my thing to begin with, wasn't particularly interested in the setting or time period but once I'd got through the first couple of chapters I was hooked and ended up reading it in a couple of days resenting having to put it down to do other mundane things like making the dinner for the family. The ending I felt though was somewhat wrapped up too quickly...but perhaps because I was so engrossed by the story and characters at that stage and immersed in their world that I wasn't ready for the book to end.

I have just started this book and am about a third of the way through. I am enjoying it though I find it a bit odd that Emma's chapters have now progressed to six months later, but Lydia is still on her journey to find her children.

Throughly enjoyed reading Seperation, set in a location I know very little about, although I knew little of the period it was set in. Didn't take away the enjoyment of the book and the two main characters, Lydia and Emma. Loved reading about how they both coped with an awful situation, and so glad it was resolved at the end.

Glad I was selected to read this book. Thanks.

Have just finished the book which I found delightful to read and believable. Look forward to receiving further books.

I have now finished the book and have really enjoyed reading it. I've learnt so much about Malaya and pleased that she found her daughters in the end.

Sadly never got mine :(

The Separation.

The hot and steamy atmosphere of Malaya in the late fifties is eloquently portrayed in Dinah Jefferies’ first novel The Separation. We are made to see just how difficult life was at a time when Chinese nationalists, who made up a large part of the population, fought with the British colonial authorities in a bid for self determination.
The story introduces us to the family of Alec, a British government official, his wife Lydia and their two young teenage children Emma and Fleur.
On her return from helping a sick friend she discovers her home empty. No sign of her husband or children. So begins the nightmare scenario, as Dinah Jefferies takes us on a journey of intrigue and unexpected developments amidst the ever present danger of the insurgency. The twists and turns of Lydia’s journey to discover the truth behind this apparent mystery takes the reader very convincingly through a hot tropical country in transition from being the British controlled Malaya, to the self ruled Malaysia of today.
The characters are well drawn and introduced to us in a way to make them seem real and totally acceptable. We feel we know these people, as the story unfolds through the eyes of the distraught mother, and also through the actions and feelings of her eldest daughter Emma. This young girl never lost faith in her dream of a reunion with her mother despite great opposition.
The author is well qualified to open our eyes to the events of this part of the world at this time in history. She was born in Malaya, and grew up for her first nine years among the tropical delights and sweaty conditions of this eastern country. It may be considered a book written primarily for women, but the subject matter lends itself very easily to a wider readership. I enjoyed it, and for a first novel Dinah Jefferies can be congratulated for a well written triumph.

Never received this one.....sounds very interesting tho. W x

You're not the only one Winifred, sadly mine didn't arrive either :-(