When the Future Comes Too Soon

In Japanese-occupied Malaya, lives are shattered and a woman discovers her inner strength in a world ravaged by war.Following the death of their matriarch, the lives of Chye Hoon’s family are turned upside down. Now that the British have fled and the Japanese have conquered, their once-benign world changes overnight.Amid the turmoil, Chye Hoon’s daughter-in-law, Mei Foong, must fend for her family as her husband, Weng Yu, becomes increasingly embittered. Challenged in ways she never could have imagined and forced into hiding, Mei Foong finds a deep reservoir of resilience she did not know she had and soon draws the attentions of another man.Is Mei Foong’s resolve enough to save herself, her marriage, and her family? Only when peace returns to Malaya will she learn the full price she must pay for survival.

“The British have abandoned Malaya (as it was then known), and the Japanese occupation has begun. Mei Foong cherishes Malayan and Chinese culture, telling her children classic Chinese tales to imbue them with the sense of their classical past. Her life seems bleak until she meets Chew Hock San, who helps her and her children during a surprise bombing.…This is a novel of survival and love.…Excellent historical fiction!” —Historical Novel Society “An atmospheric account of family in wartime.…Siak writes with genuine dramatic flair, vivid feeling for atmosphere, and a keen sense of dramatizing history. Highly recommended.” —South China Morning Post “An exciting read…Stirring and realistic, When the Future Comes Too Soon is a dynamic examination of the Japanese attack on British Malaya and the tenuousness of love in war, told from the rare perspective of local Malayan-Chinese.” —Asian Review of Books “This isn’t just a story of survival; it’s a tale of love during wartime, of wavering loyalties, and of Malayan and Chinese culture. When the Future Comes Too Soon is a thoughtfully written book with a very human touch.” —Culture Fly “As Malayan society grapples with the changes brought on by war and occupation, Mei Foong barters away pieces of her existence in order to survive, and rebuild and reclaim her life. She must finally contend with the realization that one could only wholly reclaim oneself by acts of self-assertion requiring greater courage than needed merely to survive. When the Future Comes Too Soon…is an intricately drawn network of human relationships.” —Musharraf Ali Farooqi, author of Man Asian Literary Prize-shortlisted Between Clay and Dust “Selina Siak Chin Yoke has created an intensely visceral evocation of life in Malaya during World War II, when a young wife and her family confront the harshness of life under the Japanese occupation and the ethnic polarization it causes. Mei Foong is a hauntingly original character, torn between loyalty to her family and the risk of betrayal—a woman who fatefully defies the constricting conventions of her society.” —María Dueñas, author of New York Times bestselling The Time in Between

Selina Siak Chin Yoke is the author of The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds, her first book in the Malayan Series. Of Malaysian-Chinese heritage, she grew up listening to family stories and ancient legends, always knowing that one day she would write. After an eclectic life as a theoretical physicist, investment banker, and trader in London, the heavens intervened. In 2009, Chin Yoke was diagnosed with cancer, the second major illness she had to battle. While recovering, she decided not to delay her dream of writing any longer. She is currently working on her third book and also writes a blog about Malaysia at www.siakchinyoke.com/blog.