Page-turner

Bernice Chauly's novel Once We Were There is one of the best titles to emerge out of Epigram Books this year. The Malaysian author sets her story in Kuala Lumpur during the tumultuous years of Reformasi.

The central character Del, a journalist, finds herself swept up in the heady events that follow the sacking of deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim by long-serving prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in 1998. Tragedy strikes when Del's daughter disappears, possibly kidnapped by human traffickers.

Raw and poignant, Once We Were There offers a no-holds-barred look at life in Malaysia, replete with its social and political complications.