The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds
The Malayan Series: Book #1
- By: Selina Siak Chin Yoke
- Narrated by: Christine Rendel
- Length: 17 hours 37 minutes
Description
Facing challenges in an increasingly colonial world, Chye Hoon, a rebellious young girl, must learn to embrace her mixed Malayan-Chinese identity as a Nyonya—and her destiny as a cook, rather than following her first dream of attending school like her brother.
Amidst the smells of chillies and garlic frying, Chye Hoon begins to appreciate the richness of her traditions, eventually marrying Wong Peng Choon, a Chinese man. Together, they have ten children. At last, she can pass on the stories she has heard—magical tales of men from the sea—and her warrior’s courage, along with her wonderful kueh (cakes).
But the cultural shift towards the West has begun. Chye Hoon finds herself afraid of losing the heritage she so prizes as her children move more and more into the modernising Western world.
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The Malayan Series Series

The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds
By: Selina Siak Chin Yoke
Narrated by: Christine Rendel
Length: 17 hours 37 minutes
Abridged: No
Facing challenges in an increasingly colonial world, Chye Hoon, a rebellious young girl, must learn to embrace her mixed Malayan-Chinese identity as a Nyonya—and her destiny as a cook, rather than following her first dream of attending school like her brother.
Amidst the smells of chillies and garlic frying, Chye Hoon begins to appreciate the... Read more »
Learn more
When the Future Comes Too Soon
By: Selina Siak Chin Yoke
Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden
Length: 9 hours 55 minutes
Abridged: No
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... Read more »
Learn more