ABOUT
THE BOOK

Hong Kong 1996, and the colony is about to revert to Chinese rule. Betty Mullard and her son, Bunt (short for Baby Bunting), come to the realisation that their way of life is about to change. For Balham-born Betty, Hong Kong is part of Britain, and allows her a life style that she would never have been able to afford back home. For Bunt, the colony is the only home he’s ever known. When their comfortable life of eating roast beef at Fatty’s Chophouse and going to the races at Happy Valley is threatened, Betty and Bunt cope by ignoring the threat. Then Mr. Hung, a representative of China’s People’s Liberation Army, enters their lives and, for the first time, Betty and Bunt must face the reality of the coming hand-over. Paul Theroux was born and educated in the United States, graduating from university in 1963. He has written many works of fiction and travel writing and has won many awards, including the Whitbread Prize, and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize.