Little Drops - by Theresa W Devasahayam (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Stories of hope, love, and compassion from a bygone era of Singapore's history Little Drops: Cherished Children of Singapore's Past is a compilation of biographies based on historical fact. These never-before-told stories chronicle how fifteen adoptees born from the 1930s to the early 1970s in Singapore found a forever home when their own biological parents could not raise them. These stories recount the plight of families of that era, the strength of friendships and informal social networks, Singapore's migrant heritage, how lives were thrown into turmoil during the Japanese Occupation, and the struggles individuals had borne during that period.

Review Quotes

"This is a pioneering work in the sense that there are very few studies on cross-cultural adoptions, most of which cases involved the adoption of Chinese girls by Malay and Indian families.... Devasahayam's excellent ethnographic approach provides intimate portraits of the adoptees, and to a lesser extent of the biological and adoptive parents, and like all such bottom-up approaches, particularly relating to previous eras, provokes many questions which may never be answered." --New York Journal of Books

"The book presents an important and interesting social record ... it highlights the ethnic complexities of Asian and Singaporean diversity and identity while focusing on the individual as a survivor. It also draws to mind the adage that it takes a kampong/village to raise a child."--Taylor & Francis

About the Author

Born and bred in Singapore, Theresa W. Devasahayam is a family and gender anthropologist. At a young age, her interest in women's issues was ignited when she discovered her mother's story of adoption. As an undergraduate, she enjoyed sociology and anthropology and furthered her interest in gender studies at the graduate level when she completed her PhD at Syracuse University in the USA.