Grădina cețurilor din amurg

Teoh Yun Ling returns to the Cameron Highlands in 1951. This part of Malaysia is where she grew up. She seeks peace among its tea estates. She alone lived through a brutal Japanese wartime camp. Here she finds Yugiri, the only Japanese garden in Malaysia. Aritomo made it and now lives in exile. He once cared for the Japanese emperor’s gardens.

Tan Twan Eng’s novel explores war, art, and memory. It spans three time periods and reveals secrets bit by bit. Aritomo’s past stays unclear, as do his reasons for leaving Japan. Yun Ling’s friend and host is Magnus Pretorius. He, too, raises doubts. Communist raids seem to leave him untouched. Secrets of her own survival shape the story. Grief and split loyalties mark the end of empire. This tale suits readers who like fiction about the past. A mystery lies at its heart.

This is Tan Twan Eng’s second novel. Its original title is The Garden of Evening Mists. It won the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize. It also won the 2013 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. It earned a 2012 Man Booker Prize nomination. This edition forms part of the Fiction Connection series.

Tan Twan Eng was born in Penang, Malaysia. He studied law at the University of London. He then worked as a lawyer in Kuala Lumpur. He splits his time between that city and Cape Town. His first novel is Darul ploii. It earned a 2007 Man Booker Prize nomination. His other work includes Casa ușilor. That book earned a nomination for the 2023 Booker Prize.