San Mateo County Libraries hosts author talk with Jemima Way on The Original Daughter

San Mateo County Libraries hosted an online author event in which librarian Sam interviewed Jemima Way about her debut novel, The Original Daughter. The program included a short reading, a discussion of the novel's setting and themes, and an audience Q&A. The library also promoted upcoming author talks and how to place holds on the book.

Way described the novel as rooted in the experience of a working-class Singaporean family living in government housing, a form of housing she said houses ‘‘over 80% of Singaporeans.’’ She said she wanted to portray a side of Singapore that differs from global images of a gleaming, highly modern city-state. "We are smaller than the size of New York," she said, adding that Singapore's density shapes close-knit, sometimes suffocating, community bonds.

Sam read a short, non-spoiler passage early in the program that Way…