Malaya, 1945. Cecily Alcantara’s family is in terrible danger: her fifteen-year-old son, Abel, has disappeared, and her youngest daughter, Jasmin, is confined in a basement to prevent being pressed into service at the comfort stations. Her eldest daughter Jujube, who works at a tea house frequented by drunk Japanese soldiers, becomes angrier by the day.

Cecily knows two things: that this is all her fault; and that her family must never learn the truth.

A decade prior, Cecily had been desperate to be more than a housewife to a low-level bureaucrat in British-colonized Malaya. A chance meeting with the charismatic General Fuijwara lured her into a life of espionage, pursuing dreams of an “Asia for Asians.” Instead, Cecily helped usher in an even more brutal occupation by the Japanese. Ten years later as the war reaches its apex, her actions have caught up with her. Now her family is on the brink of destruction—and she will do anything to save them.

Spanning years of pain and triumph, told from the perspectives of four unforgettable characters, The Storm We Made is a dazzling saga about the horrors of war; the fraught relationships between the colonized and their oppressors, and the ambiguity of right and wrong when survival is at stake.

This book contains scenes that depict sexual assault and child abuse.

There is no shortage of World War II historical fiction out there—but seldom do I find one as emotionally gripping and devastating as The Storm We Made. With flowing prose and a sweeping plot, Vanessa Chan’s debut novel burrowed its way into my heart and will be with me for a long time.

Told through the perspectives of four different family members, in The Storm We Made we witness the horrors that were brought upon the Malaysian people by occupying forces during WWII. Starting in 1935, Cecily, a housewife, is trying desperately to end the British occupation of Malaysia. Caught up in a life of espionage, she unknowingly helps an even more brutal occupation by the Japanese take hold. Fast forward to 1945, Cecily carries the burden of her actions with her every day while taking care of her children. When her 15-year-old son Abel suddenly goes missing, Cecily must reckon with her past, knowing that there is one thing she will always fight for: her family.

Make no mistake: The Storm We Made is not an easy read. It confronts the atrocities of war head-on and gives a glimpse of the real-life suffering that so many experienced. But through all that lies a stunning story with a soul and characters that come alive on the page. If you are looking for a truly special read this month, make this one your pick.