The Sun Sets in Singapore

Some months ago, I was on NetGalley when my eyes were drawn to a stunning yellow and red cover. The Sun Sets in Singapore was an equally captivating title. The debut novel by Kehinde Fadipe, it’s about three Nigerian women living in Singapore and the distinct ways their lives are upended when a newcomer, Lani, shows up. 

Special thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Summary

Singapore is a rich country of contrasts, and it’s become the home of three very different Black Nigerian women. Dara is a workaholic intent on making partner at the law firm where she works. Her best friend is Amaka, a somewhat caustic woman with a good job, a doting boyfriend, and a recent inheritance. But she keeps everyone at arm’s length and instead indulges her shopping addiction. Lillian is new to them, though she’s been here for three years with her husband. They’ve spent just as long trying to have a baby, but it’s not working, and Lillian’s mental health has taken a turn for the worse. All three women are affected in major but completely different ways when a Nigerian man, Lani, arrives in Singapore. 

Review

When I first heard of The Sun Sets in Singapore, I was immediately reminded of another book I enjoyed, In Every Mirror She’s Black. Like that novel, this one follows three Black women living the expat life in another country; here, instead of Sweden, it’s Singapore. All three women are Nigerian, though their experiences and personal pasts differ greatly. Dara is a workaholic intent on making partner at the law firm she’s worked at for the last six years. Amaka has a good job and a sweet boyfriend, but she keeps everyone at arm’s length, instead relying on her shopping addiction to cope with past traumas. And Lillian was an acclaimed pianist before marrying and following her husband to Singapore. They’ve been trying to conceive for three years, and their marriage has become strained. Her new obsession threatens to end her marriage, though it’s her unresolved childhood trauma that needs the most attention. 

Each of the women is so different, and their story arcs and themes completely stand on their own. Even with the three unique narratives in The Sun Sets in Singapore, I found each character’s chapters to be equally compelling. They’re not all equally likable; I found Amaka pretty hard to root for sometimes! But each of the interlocking stories was engaging and satisfying. 

For all three, the arrival of Lani in Singapore is the catalyst. For Dara, Lani is a threat to her career ambitions and everything she’s worked for. Amaka sees him as a welcome distraction from her relationship, family issues, and shopping addiction. Lillian, however, sees him as someone extremely familiar; he looks just like her late father, and it brings back all her trauma about the death of her parents. 

As all three women navigate their issues in their own ways, they’re contrasted with other Black women living in Singapore. My favorite component is the book club they each attend. Many of the books they discuss are ones I’ve read (or plan to read), such as Homegoing and The Bride Test. I’d love to join a book club with these women!

This novel is about so many themes: mental health, family relationships, cultural heritage, sense of self. Ultimately, it paints a picture of three very different women, despite having a common country of origin, who are affected in unique ways by the same man. Dara, Amaka, and Lillian know each other, but how well? How can they support each other instead of adding to the tension rising around them?

Final Thoughts

The Sun Sets in Singapore is a multi-layered and vividly drawn novel about cultures colliding and three strong women overcoming major hurdles. It’s emotional and tender, yet tough and stark. By the end, it will leave readers feeling empowered to take on their past and present and live for the future.

Get the Book

You can buy The Sun Sets in Singapore here – it’s available as a hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

The Sun Sets in Singapore by Kehinde Fadipe
Audience	Adult
Genre	Contemporary Fiction
Setting	Singapore
Number of Pages	352
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	October 31, 2023

Official 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.