Super Short Summary

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng follows Judge Teoh Yun Ling, who battles a degenerative neurological condition as she retires in the 1980s. Flashbacks reveal her traumatic experiences as a World War II prisoner and her post-war years apprenticing with a Japanese gardener, Aritomo, to create a garden in memory of her lost sister. The narrative intertwines themes of memory, cultural expectations, and forgiveness. The book depicts the cruel treatment of prisoners during wartime occupation.