Historical fiction book · Curated
The Garden of Evening Mists
Tan Twan Eng · historical fiction
A judge in Malaya tends a Japanese garden and confronts wartime memory (Walter Scott Prize 2013).
About this historical novel
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng is historical fiction set around 1940s–1950s in the World War II era / Cold War period with key settings including Malaya, Cameron Highlands. A judge in Malaya tends a Japanese garden and confronts wartime memory (Walter Scott Prize 2013).
On HisFic we tag it under 1. Literary historical fiction so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include memory, war, art, and identity. It also appears on our prize-winner shelf—useful if you like critically recognized historical novels.
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Plot summary
A judge in Malaya tends a Japanese garden and confronts wartime memory (Walter Scott Prize 2013).
Awards
- ★ Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction · 2013 (winner)
UK’s leading HF prize (founded 2010). Often called the most prestigious award dedicated to historical fiction.
Subgenres
Eras
Browse this mix
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A Trinidadian epic of hunger, ambition, and a missing boy (Walter Scott Prize 2024).
- In the Lake of the Woods · Tim O'Brien
A politician’s marriage unravels under the shadow of Vietnam (SAH Prize 1995).
Regions & places
Asia
Malaya · Cameron Highlands
Themes
- memory
- war
- art
- identity
Tags
award-winner