Lim’s outstanding history of Hong Kong is an epic must-read ... From the first page, the importance of language and the voices of Hong Kongers are central themes. Yet Indelible City captures much more as it records the struggle of a people oppressed by British colonialism and suppressed by communist China yet determined in their pursuit of freedom and cultural identity.
... this is an unapologetically personal book ... The engine for this vivid, loving book is Lim’s insistent questioning — her recognition that whatever comes next for Hong Kong will require not only fortitude but also willful acts of imagination.
... dismantles the received wisdom about Hong Kong’s history and replaces it with an engaging, exhaustively researched account of its long struggle for sovereignty ... Throughout this colonial history Lim sprinkles vivid details that underscore the racism and 'willful disregard' with which Britain governed its last major colony.
... riveting ... Interweaving an up-close view of recent protests against Chinese rule with evocative details about Hong Kong’s colonial past, Lim contends that the 50-year term for 'One Country, Two Systems'—the policy that was supposed to govern its 1997 transition from a British possession to a sovereign territory of China—has ended well ahead of schedule ... The result is a vivid and vital contribution to postcolonial history.
The author’s determined, methodical chronicle captures her growing unease and complex thoughts about joining the ranks of the activists and dissidents ... An affecting portrayal of the spirited nature of Hong Kong and the many challenges it faces.
