[Book Review] Harry Grows Up: The Early Years of Lee Kuan Yew (Harry Lee Book 2)

I had previously read a book called "A Boy Named Harry: The Childhood of Lee Kuan Yew", illustrated by Patrick Yee. The link for my book review can be found here. Having been impressed with the first book of the Harry Lee Book series, I decided to give the second book a read. 

Harry Grows Up: The Early Years of Lee Kuan Yew (Harry Lee Book 2)

2015

Published by: Epigram Books / Singapore

Written by: Sheri Tan, Illustrated by: Patrick Yee

Based on the title, I could guess that the book would explore the life events that shaped Harry's values and beliefs which would later propel him towards creating Singapore's People's Action Party. The one question that lingered in my mind was: How could anyone narrate the motivations behind Lee Kuan Yew's political ideologies in a manner that would engage children? 

Surely, that must be difficult? But the author of this book had achieved this feat with great finesse. 

While I enjoyed every page of the book, My favourite part of the book was the love story that brewed between Lee Kuan Yew and Kwa Geok Choo. It was simply too cute to read and the hopeless romantic in me was feigning over their deep bond. 

"His 23rd birthday in 1946 was bittersweet. [...] It was also the day he waved goodbye to Choo as he stood on the deck of the Brittanica. Neither of them knew when they would see each other again. But they hoped that Choo would [..] be able to join Harry wherever he was." 

They rooted for each other's success and stayed together through all of the obstacles that could have broken their relationship. It is the kind of a relationship that anyone would be envious of, and the writer's ability to convey this beautiful romance with mere simple words and caricatures was laudable.

Similar to the first book, the second book also focused on showing the audience how Harry's character evolved from being an ordinary Singaporean student to becoming a capable and confident politician. 

"Harry was forced by the senior students to wear a torn green flag, sing and even push a marble on the ground with his nose." 

In actual fact, Harry used to be a meek student who did not speak up against his seniors and went through "hazing" (a practice of senior year students bullying new students). However, he grew to become a leader who wanted speak up for the rights of workers and other vulnerable groups in Singapore. It was personally very inspiring for me since I am not an outspoken individual and it made me believe that I was capable of growing into a leader too. The message was clear: No one is born a leader, they are made into one.

In conclusion, Harry Grows Up: The Early Years of Lee Kuan Yew is an elegant continuation of the Harry Lee Book series blending history, romance, and character growth in a way that is both engaging and accessible for young readers. This book is such a delightful and meaningful read that I would strongly recommend!