Of matriarchs, maidens, mistresses and matchmakers, Kebaya Tales is a delightful collection of short stories, teeming with fascinating and interesting characters, unexpected twists and turns, cultural rituals, beliefs and superstitions and poignant events in the life stories of the Peranakans. Lee Su Kim’s latest book brings you into another world, a world that many know little about—the world of the Babas and Nyonyas or the Straits Chinese, a colourful, flamboyant and unique community still in existence today in the former Straits Settlements of Malacca, Penang and Singapore. 

     Like her previous books, Lee Su Kim’s stories in this book are laced with humour and occasional gentle satire. All the stories are based on or are inspired by real-life events which Su Kim has collected from her nyonya mother, grandmother, bibiks and nyonyas.

     This is a first-ever collection of short stories of a unique cultural community, at the crossroads as to its very survival, but presently enjoying a tremendous resurgence. Su Kim’s debut collection of stories are simply stunning and heartwarming, evocative of a bygone era and a cultural community renowned for its unique multicultural legacy.

About the Author

Lee Su Kim is the author of eight books including two bestsellers, Malaysian Flavours: Insights into Things Malaysian (2004) and Manglish: Malaysian English at its Wackiest (1998). Her recent book, A Nyonya In Texas: Insights of a Straits Chinese Woman in the Lone Star State (2007)is a hilarious account of crosscultural encounters between East and West.

     Su Kim is an Associate Professor of English at the School of Language Studies and Linguistics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Masters in Education from the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Houston. She has presented papers at international conferences in Europe, the USA and Asia, and published widely on language and Identity issues. In October 2009, she was an invited writer to the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival at Ubud, Bali

     Su Kim is of Straits Chinese (Peranakan) parentage. She is a founder member and the first woman President of the Peranakan Baba Nyonya Association of Kuala Lumpur & Selangor.