The article discusses two novels: 'The South' by Tash Aw, which narrates a summer in 1990s Malaysia focusing on a romance amidst class and ethnic issues on a struggling farm. It intricately portrays the complex dynamics between the farm owners' family and the manager's son, revealing deep secrets and social hierarchies. 'Heart, Be at Peace' by Donal Ryan serves as a sequel that tackles Ireland's drug crisis a decade post-economic collapse, featuring diverse narratives that reflect the country's trauma and ongoing struggles with morality and community.
Aw affectingly evokes places: the private spaces where queer men congregate without shame; a nearby city where it's possible to spy the skyscrapers of Singapore.
Among the novel's central characters are people engaged in trafficking, a vigilante intent on stopping drug dealers, and the ghost of a man murdered in the first book.
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