A Nyonya Mosaic

Set in Singapore in the 1910s, A Nyonya Mosaic is the story of a young girl growing up in a slowly changing world. William Gwee Thian Hock relates the childhood impressions of his Nyonya mother through her own eyes – the scenes of happiness, birthdays and weddings; and the inevitable disease and death; the childish passions and fears woven through the mosaic of a strict and sometimes unrelenting culture; as intricate and as colourful in its every detail. Much in the foreground is the family, her matriarchal grandmother, her dogmatic father and her siblings, all with their own stories, but always bonded by their love, their beliefs and superstitions.     Illustrated with photographs from the family archive, A Nyonya Mosaic is not merely a chronicle of a passing culture; these are the precious memories of one who loves it. Truly a touching narrative. *This is a reissue of a book first published in 1985 as A Nonya Mosaic. 


William Gwee Thian Hock, a fifth-generation Singapore Baba, is regarded as an authority on Baba Peranakan culture. The author of Mas Sepuloh, Baba Conversational Gems (1993), A Baba-Malay Dictionary (2006) and A Baba Boyhood (2013), has also written and staged 12 skits and four plays. Continuing in the strong musical tradition of the Babas, he has also written 19 original songs, including Nyonya Manis, Nasik Ulam, and Di Kebun Bunga.

As one of the rare keepers of the rich and complex Baba culture, William has given numerous talks and interviews to researchers, docents, students and journalists, as well as rendered advice to the Gunong Sayang Association, the Peranakan Association of Singapore, the Main Wayang Company, and the Peranakan Museum.