The Piano Teacher - Janice Y K Lee

This captivating novel describes two love affairs involving the same man in colonial Hong Kong, set a decade apart. The narrative structure, switching between the 1940s and the 1950s, works well, as the central plot is revealed through a mixture of memory and real time, and the characterisation is interesting as the main characters switch roles, with Will being first the more naive and then the more cynical partner in his two relationships. I found it an unexpectedly traumatic read in places - having picked it up thinking it would be a light period romance, I found it to be a surprisingly disturbing story including political intrigue and some shocking material about the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. I think that this would repay a re-read at some point.