The Storm We Made: A Novel

Published in 2024, The Storm We Made is a historical novel by Malaysian author Vanessa Chan. Drawing from wartime stories told to her by her grandparents, Chan initially wrote one of the chapters as a class assignment before she was encouraged by a writing teacher to expand it into a full-length work. The novel revolves around the Alcantaras, a Malayan family living under Japanese occupation at the end of the Second World War. It recounts how the family matron, Cecily, helped ensure Japanese victory over the British colonial government while also presenting the consequences of her actions for each of her three children, Jujube, Abel, and Jasmin. Through their perspectives, Chan examines The Illusion of the Benevolent Colonizer, Solidarity as a Postcolonial Value, and Overcoming Trauma With Memory.

This study guide refers to the first hardcover edition of the novel, published by Marysue Rucci Books in 2024.

Content Warning: The source material for this guide includes depictions of war atrocities involving sexual abuse and violence, as well as child abuse and death. The novel also presents scenes of domestic abuse, alcohol addiction, and anti-Asian language.

Plot Summary

The novel begins in early 1945 with the disappearance of

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