num_pages: 199
description: The first 19 stories in the collection trace the countless experiences and escapades of Ah Leong, inextricably interwined with those of his family and friends. As the stories develop, Ah Leong comes of age, gets a job, falls in love, enlists in National Service, and learns, often with youthful ingenuity and zeal, how to sidestep some of life's complications. This book also includes two prizewinning stories: "Campfire" won 2nd prize in the 1983 National Short Story Writing Competition, and "Evening Under Frangipani" won 1st prize in the same competition in 1985. Both stories effectively explore the vulnerability of first love and the emptiness that follows.Published in 1987, First Loves topped the Singapore Times Book International best-sellers list and stayed on the list for 18 months.
language: English
title: First Loves
titlecomplete: First Loves
ratings_count: 32
publisher: Times Books International