Lying Eyes

In World War II Singapore (1942-1945), many people went through unimaginable suffering. Siew Chin was forced to become a "comfort woman" in a Japanese military brothel. Her husband Tiong was taken away to be massacred. Ah Ding collaborated with the Japanese occupiers. And yet, as is always the case with the moral complexities of war, Ah Ding was also a volunteer in the very guerrilla unit whose members he came to incriminate with his pointed finger, and it was he who pointed Siew Chin towards a new life.

Years later, Siew Chin encounters Ah Ding once again. Tortured by unwanted memories, Ah Ding recoils from this long-buried remnant of his past. Can Ah Ding finally make peace with his history, or will he succumb to the overwhelming guilt and shame that has plagued him for six decades? Lying Eyes gives voices to people caught up in the powerful currents of national events, silent characters whom history has largely passed over.

About the author:

A.K. Kulshreshth's short stories have been published in eight countries. Together with his mother, he has translated four books from Hindi to English. In 2021, he completed Bride of the City, the first ever translation into English of the classic 1949 Hindi novel Vaishali Ki Nagarvadhu. His first novel Lying Eyes was longlisted for 2022 Epigram Books Fiction Prize.

"Highly recommended"-The Historical Novels Review

"A literary achievement of social inspection that provides enlightening, thought-provoking, and hard to put down."-Midwest Book Review

2022 Epigram Books Fiction Prize (Longlist)