About the Book: The South by Tash Aw is a lyrical coming-of-age novel set in rural Malaysia during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Seventeen-year-old Jay Lim returns with his family to his late grandfather’s deteriorating farm, where he becomes drawn to Chuan, the farm manager’s son. Their evolving relationship unfolds amid familial tensions and the backdrop of economic and environmental decline. The novel explores themes of identity, desire, and generational change, marking the first installment in a planned quartet that delves into the complexities of family and societal transformation