The Lies That Build a Marriage
Stories of the unsung, unsaid and uncelebrated in Singapore
by Suchen Christine Lim
A mother finds out her son is gay; a daughter finds out her two mothers are lesbians; a niece stumbles upon the body of her dead uncle dressed in his wife's sarong kebaya; and an old man's nascent feelings for a Filipino maid lead him back to his suppressed art.
The Lies That Build A Marriage, Suchen Christine Lim's short stories of the unsung, unsaid and uncelebrated in Singapore, delve beneath the sunlit island's prosperity and coded decorum. Her characters chip away prejudice and sculpt it into acceptance of the other.
Suchen Christine Lim was born in Malaysia but she grew up in Singapore. She is the author
of Fistful of Colours, awarded the inaugural Singapore Literature Prize 1992; A Bit of Earth, shortlisted for the Singapore
Literature Prize 2004; Ricebowl and Gift from The Gods. Other publications include a play co-authored with
Ophelia Ooi, The Amah: A Portrait in Black and White, Short Play Merit Prize 1989; Stories of the Overseas Chinese, a
non-fiction book, 2005; and several children's books written for schools.
Media
“This is a book that deals with controversial subjects.”
–The Straits Times
Blogged
“In The Lies That Build A Marriage, a paperback fiction and new title published by Monsoon Books Singapore, one straightaway senses that Suchen Christine Lim's efforts at writing and compiling a series of short stories, have been subtly designed to haunt and provoke a straitlaced but thoughtful Singapore with restless, stirring themes that hover like a dark cloud, over the classic immeasurable pain cradled by marginalised communities.” Read more
