Recently, my sister in New Jersey sent me a book, knowing I'm an avid reader. She'd heard about a recommendation from an east coast book club and promptly purchased and mailed me a brightly-colored, hardcover 330-page novel entitled 'The Sun Sets in Singapore' by Kehinde Fadipe.
The book is a tale of three black women, Dara, Amaka and Lillian, all 30-somethings living and working in the Republic of Singapore, an island state in southeast Asia.
On the surface, Singapore is an idyllic world of multinational corporations, high-class shopping, and five-star restaurants set amid lush tropical gardens, but as the author states on her cover flap, this Eden harbors a snake.
Dara is a workaholic lawyer from the UK, Amaka is a banker from Nigeria, and Lillian from the U.S., is a pianist who has lost her desire to play and instead followed her diplomat husband to Singapore along with their two children.
The three women are friends by virtue of being black and female in a predominantly Asian society and gather regularly for girlfriend outings. But when a tall, dark, and handsome stranger is introduced into their midst...everything changes. Competiton rears its ugly head. How the women handle this interloper in light of the casual racism and sexism of the society they operate in severely tests the bonds of their friendship.
My sister's choice was not accidental. Knowing I'd worked for the UN for several years in various global outposts, she thought I might relate to being a minority and/or female working in a foreign country. She was right, of course, as I noted several relational points throughout the story, e.g. housing issues, financial issues, (Singapore is a very expensive city to live in), difficulties of dating outside of one's culture, and the occasional homesickness and longing for things familiar.
Regarding the characters, author Fadipe paints the women as a bit 2-dimensional, or shallow, sometimes making choices that often don't seem logical, with little inclination toward committed relationships, and perhaps even a bit promiscuous.
On the plus side, the author paints a vivid picture of the bustling, multicultural hub that is Singapore, and the story is moderately paced; a book to put down and pick up again, making it an ideal summer read.
Fadipe, a young black author trained as a Royal Academy actor with both stage and screen credits, has also produced a short film entitled 'Spirit Children'. This is her first novel.
BIO:
GAIL MERRIWETHER is a retired Chicago cop and member of Poets United to Advance the Arts.
Zarria is a poet, writer, mother and 5th place winner in Lincoln University’s Poetry Slam. 
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