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|title=The Separation

|sort=Separation, The

|publisher=Penguin

|date=May 2014

|summary=A young woman frantically searches Malaya for her husband and young daughters during the 'Emergency'.

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Lydia Cartwright has returned home from a short trip and can’t wait to be reunited with her adorable young daughters. She has missed them terribly. When she walks through the door, however, she senses that something is very wrong. Her husband and daughters are gone, along with most of their clothes and possessions. She searches the house for a message, some clue as to where they may be, but finds nothing. The bank account has been left almost empty, leaving Lydia puzzled and confused. Where are her husband and children? After making enquiries, Lydia is told that her family have relocated to Ipoh, where her husband Alec has a new job. Filled with hope, Lydia undertakes a risky journey through the Malayan Jungle at a time of political unrest known simply as the ‘Emergency’ with the love of her children as her driving force.

Despite these irritations, the book also has a lot to redeeming features. Emma is a delightful character and the parts of the story written from her teenage perspective are a pleasure to read. The descriptions of life in Malaya, drawn from the author’s own experiences, are powerfully evocative and transport the reader to another time and place. The author had clearly done her research, which added credibility to the storyline.The ending was beautifully written and made me feel glad that I had not given up on the story, despite my misgivings.

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