Five children are named after the five Confucian virtues, Together they could form a complete set and work in harmony to form the definition of the perfect human being, but apart, as they are, they cause an imbalance to both themselves and the world around them.

Set in 1930’s Malaya (modern Malaysia), this historical novel touches on legends of were tigers, the importance of being buried intact and the luck of certain numbers in Chinese. There is also some mystery, murder, and romance.

I am surprised I didn’t like it more than I did. This was merely an okay read for me. I was never very invested in the fate of the characters. This may be just me and this author’s writing. It’s difficult to say.