Novel set AFAICT in 50s #Singapore, in a shanty town peopled with Malays & Indians. All characters have been dealt a terrible hand in life. There is an economic crisis & the country (then part of British Malaya) is picking itself up after WWII & bombings. Salina is a prostitute with a heart of gold & a kept good-for-nothing boyfriend. Heartbreaking & full of humanity
The French translation flows well but wd have benefited from a better proofreader