The Sun Sets in Singapore

A Novel

By: Kehinde Fadipe

Narrated by: Dami Olukoya

Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Basking in Singapore’s nonstop sunshine, Dara, Amaka, and Lillian are living the glamorous expat dream—until a mysterious (not to mention handsome) new arrival infiltrates their tight-knit community and ruins everything: "Wanderlust-inducing" (Lola Akinmade Åkerström, international bestselling author).

A Today Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick

“Dazzling . . . I loved this story about friendship, who we lean on, female ambition, and what defines us.” —Jenna Bush Hager

The Lion City has gone by many names and is famous for many things—its decadent street food, its world-class shopping, its lush gardens that burst with tropical blooms. But paradise is always hiding a snake.

For Dara, a workaholic lawyer from the UK, Singapore is opportunity. Every day, brokering deals for her firm’s wealthy clientele, she gets closer to her ultimate goal: making partner. For Amaka, a sharp-tongued banker from Nigeria, Singapore is extravagance. Gucci, Prada, Hermès—she loves nothing more than to luxuriate in the major department stores that call her name on Orchard Road. And for Lillian, a former pianist turned “trailing spouse” from the U.S., Singapore is reinvention. In a stunning apartment with 360° views, the island seems to glitter as far as the eye can see.

But complications are looming in the form of an enigmatic stranger, whose presence exposes cracks in Singapore’s beguiling façade. Dara’s ambitions mean she has no life outside the firm, and her insecurities are threatening to derail the promotion she’s spent the last six years striving for. Amaka is desperate to escape the chaos she left behind at home and hiding a spiraling shopping addiction that’s endangering her very sense of self. And while Lillian’s life may be the envy of outsiders, a new obsession is imperiling everything—and everyone—around her.

In The Sun Sets in Singapore, Kehinde Fadipe captures the richness of this metropolis through the eyes of three tenacious women, who are about to learn that unfinished history can follow you anywhere, no matter how far you run from home.

©2023 Kehinde Fadipe (P)2023 Grand Central Publishing

Critic reviews

"Unlike anything I’ve ever read. Slick, agile, and utterly engrossing, this spectacular debut features a set of protagonists so rarely portrayed: Black women expats." (Taiye Selasi, Author of Ghana Must Go)

"In The Sun Sets in Singapore, Kehinde Fadipe expertly weaves the stories of three Nigerian expats seeking to write their futures in the luxe, moneyed world of Singapore, only to have their lives disrupted by the arrival of a handsome newcomer. The interloper's impact is both unexpected and rewarding, deepening our understanding of this trio of remarkable women as they learn to confront the scars of their pasts and reexamine what truly matters to them. A compelling story of ambition, identity, and friendship, this dynamic debut novel is a must-read for every book club." (Kirthana Ramisetti, author of GMA Book Club pick Dava Shastri's Last Day)

"With a vibrant host of characters set against the lush, wanderlust-inducing backdrop of Southeast Asia, Fadipe's energetic, technicolor prose sucks you into the maddening worlds of Dara, Amaka, and Lillian, and spits you out with more grace, more empathy, and more understanding. A rich celebration of the nuanced complexities of Black womanhood and friendship." (Lola Akinmade Åkerström, international bestselling author of In Every Mirror She's Black)

Good story

Easy to envision the characters and their personalities. Great plot and conclusion as well
Thanks!

Illuminating story about expats in Singapore

Fast paced and perceptive descriptions of life as Nigerians in the Far East. Would have like more in depth stories of the interactions between Han Chinese in Singapore and Nigerians

Sooo good!

I’ll admit, I am bias as a Nigerian and a lawyer myself - I had many connection points. But I don’t think those connections are necessary to enjoy this story. It kept me interested from chapter to chapter with a few gasps here and there. Pick it up!

Slow to start

Very slow moving at beginning. I almost gave up. The central women were not endearing. I didn’t care what happened to them. The narrator did a good job tackling the various accents.

The intermix of the lives of the characters, always associating with their homeland in a new space.

I like the depth of the backgrounds of each of the characters. It helped understand their behaviors in current day.

Engaging story & fabulous narration

I enjoyed taking a peek into these woman’s lives, challenges and ambitions. The book has themes around friendship, community, discrimination, as well as personal and professional struggles, Two thumbs up.


Food for Thought

I liked the ending, but the narrative ending like most of the narration was too much. There were many times when the story felt like a lot was edited out, and you were left with filling in the gaps. In the beginning, I hated the accent of one of the characters. I almost stopped listening during the first hour because I hated that accent. It was “valley girl” ish. I guess that was the point. It took me back decades to annoying TV shows with materialistic characters. I didn’t like most of the storylines. One part made very little sense. The plot lines seemed incredulous. But there were a couple of interesting ones making the novel have redeeming qualities. I got lost with all of the characters and the idiosyncrasies of each one. The book did give me something to think about regarding choices that women make and their consequences along with the forces compelling them to make these decisions.

Nice read/listen

I enjoyed the storyline. I gave a 4 star for the performance because I'm not sure if others had the same experience but at random points the narrator's voice literally changed (and not for switching characters). It would happen mid-sentence and/or paragraphs which I found to be a bit distracting.

As far as the story, I think the ending fell a little flat for me. . . although I loved watching the development and evolution of the characters, I personally just left wishing for a bit more from them.

Overall, I would recommend.

Memory challenged

I really enjoyed the story but there were so many characters that I had trouble keeping track of them all. Really liked the ending.

Very intriguing story line and very complex characters

I loved following the story of the "friend" group. I loved that it was POC set in an exotic location. Very accomplished, etc, but some of the story tangents didn't feel believable