Summary

Philip, as the narrator, begins his story in Chapter 3 with his own birth, chronicling the traditions of his family all the way back to his great grandfather Graham Hutton and his desire to forge some legacy that would last beyond his own life. Thus, the reader is made aware of the history of the Hutton mansion, Istana’s creation. The narration moves into talking about Noel Hutton, Philip's father. Noel had four children of two different marriages. Philip was the youngest of them and the only among them that was half-Chinese, as his father’s second marriage was to a woman named Khoo Yo Lian. In both cases, Noel became a widower. Emma, his first wife, died while giving birth to Philip's sister, Isabel, and his second wife, Khoo Yo Lian, died when Philip was only seven years old.

Being half-Chinese, half-English...