Adventure-loving Sing and her enormous family are back inthis sequel toThe House on Palmer Road.

Set in World War II Singapore,The House on SilatRoadtells the adventures and experiences of nine-year-old Sing andher family during the Japanese Occupation. Barely have they moved into theirbig new house on a hill which Father built, that the first Japanese bombs fallon Singapore and their idyllic life is turned upside down.

Through Sings simple but vivid storytelling, readerswitness some of the most iconic events in Singapores historythe Battle forSingapore, the fall of the island, the Sook Ching and finally the return of theAllies. Follow Sing and her family as they do their best to survive theJapanese Occupationbuying groceries under ration, growing their ownvegetables, outwitting the Japanese while having English lessons, and listen torumours of the outside world from people with hidden radios. Then through Singseyes, witness historic events that are not often describedthe first Alliedbombings as they re-take Singapore, the incredible shower of leaflets thatannounced the end of war, the seaborne return of the Allied Fleet, amongstothers.

Based on the childhood of 85-year-old author Si-Hoe S.S.,the authors hope to bring readers into the life of an ordinary family inSingapore in these tumultuous timesfrom how unprepared people were for thereality of war to their tenacity and resilience when the worst actuallyhappened.

This book also brings alive again the exceptional housebuilt by Si-Hoes father, a self-made man of particular foresight. Anticipatingthat the war would come, the contractor had bought land on a hill and expresslybuilt the house as high as he could to gain a vantage point of thesurroundings. In the house, he also built a secret hidden floor, and a garagestrategically tucked into the hillside which turned into a bomb shelter.

All these and more are captured vividly in over 40illustrations by Singaporean artist Lim An-ling who drew them using referencesfrom photos and models of the house which had long been torn down.

Above all,The House on Silat Roadis astory about hope and strength of ordinary people who lived throughextraordinary times, and indeed the triumph of the child. For even in thedarkest times, Sing and her siblings found happy moments, from the simplepleasure of getting scraps of candy, catching worms for chickens to sneaking aride on a stubborn mule.

In its happy ending,The House on Silat Roadpaystribute to the brave Singaporeans and all others who endured the war here, andwho emerged the finest generation of our times.

This book is supported by the National Heritage Board andOur Singapore Fund.

About the Authors & Illustrator

Si-Hoe S.S. is Sing, the real protagonist in TheHouse on Palmer Road and the House on Silat Road. She was born in the house onPalmer Road in 1933, and lived there with her family until 1941. She was one ofthe very rare girls in her time who went to what was then the University ofMalaya (now National University of Singapore), and an ever rarer one whograduated with a Masters Degree in Chemistry. She became a chemistry teacherand taught Anglo-Chinese School, St. Patricks School and Temasek JuniorCollege. Retired since 1994, she is a first-time book author at the youthfulage of 83.

A food and travel journalist of 30 years,Sim EeWaunis more recently a published childrens book author. Her booksincludeThe Little Singapore Book,The House on Palmer Roadandits sequelThe House on Silat Road, all delving into Singaporeshistory. She holds a BA (Hons) in English Language & Literature and an MAin International Journalism.

Local artistLim An-Linghas illustratedbooks for both young and not-so-young readers as well as Singapores currentVanishing Trades series of postage stamps. Her love for drawing started whenshe was a child. Being surrounded by many beautiful curiosities and books whichher father collected, her passion grew and grew. She hopes that her humurous,playful illustrations in this book would keep young audiences in good companyas they take this nostalgic, fun-filled journey through old Singapore. An-Lingholds of BA in Visual Communications, and her portfolio can be viewed onwww.musingcats.com.