The Heartsick Diaspora, and other stories

Innovative in format and original in content, The Heartsick Diaspora is clever, multilayered, challenging and political. It’s also full of verve and wit. ~Monica Ali

'Riffing on the collisions between tradition and modernity, Elaine Chiew’s winsome, playful, and sometimes wistful short story collection The Heartsick Diaspora hopscotches across continents and time periods, focusing on Malaysians at home and abroad. Leavened with well-observed humor, and peppered with moments of pathos and poignant reflections on cultural difference, The Heartsick Diaspora is a stimulating and varied collection.' – Ho Lin, Foreward Reviews Five Gifted New Authors

~Ho Lin, Foreward Reviews

Chiew’s prose is intelligent and funny and reveals a range rarely seen in story collections. ~Leland Cheuk, Hyphen magazine

This compelling collection is packed with prize winning stories alongside new works, and is the result of Chiew’s own journey of personal discovery and identity. A striking and important debut. ~Han Clark, Lunate

'In The Heartsick Diaspora, Elaine Chiew allows us to visit a breadth of experiences among Chinese migrant communities, both past and present. The range of the emotional worlds of the characters represented in the book is depicted in fragments, echoing the disjointed, often repressed manner in which many of the immigrant families communicate with one another. The stories do an outstanding job of capturing an atmosphere that is recognisable, but presented in fresh tales to engage the mind and heart of the reader, even as they entertain. It is a brilliant first collection by Chiew, marking her as a writer to be watched.' – Shelly Bryant

~Shelly Bryant

This debut collection looks at Singaporeans and Malaysians living in diaspora in short stories that are wickedly funny or melancholic. ~Olivia Ho, The Strait Times

The Heartsick Diaspora was a wonderful read throughout and is here definitely recommended. To carry all the history, the changes, the diversity of location, people and families and do it faultlessly through a series of stories with barely a flicker of fault in any is a major achievement. Each story is a dense little gem in itself, a meaty little tale packed with so much information, hinting at so much more. As a collection – building the foundations of the others even deeper – they are outstanding. I will be seeking out anything else Chiew is writing – she is a very, very, good writer. ~Hilary White, NB Magazine

'Elaine’s debut collection is masterfully written. Set in Singapore, England and the US, the stories are multilayered, diverse and rich in content, unsentimental yet poignant. I can’t recommend it enough. If you were to read only short story collection this year, let this be the one. You won’t be disappointed.' – Chiew-Siah Tei, author of Hut of Little Leaping Fishes and The Mousedeer Kingdom

~Chiew-Siah Tei