People have been telling me to read this book since 2021. But because I’ve got a long TBR list, and because this book doesn’t sync to my kobo, I’ve procrastinated on reading it. However, after my IRL bookclub/food discussion club chose this as our next book to read, I decided it was time to pick it up (after the book club had already met haha).

17A Keong Saik Road is a very unique Singaporean memoir that covers an aspect of Singaporean history that we definitely do not learn about in school – the sex trade. This book is Charmaine’s story about her family’s history and her childhood growing up as the daughter of a brothel owner. It’s a fascinating story that mixes history and memoir and I was captivated from page one onwards.

Perhaps the most fascinating thing I learnt is about the evolution of evolution of Keong Saik Road. In the beginning, Keong Saik Road was not a red light district. Instead, during the late 1940s and early 1950s, it was an entertainment district where the Pei Pa Zai (‘Little Pipa’) worked. The pei pa zai were songstresses who sang Cantonese and Huangmei opera. Some not only sang but also played a string instrument! They were also consummate hostesses known for their witty banter. The pei pa zai charged their customers using a time-based system, starting with a cost of $5 for a set of songs, and an addition $5 for every fifteen minutes of conversation and drinks. If this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s because this system is very similar to how the geisha’s operate!

However, as time went on, the pei pa zai faded away and masseuses took their place, only to be slowly replaced by prostitutes and thus turning Keong Saik Road into a red light district. It really feels like there’s a trend where if a woman tries to make a living from her talents and personality, somehow the environment moves things down the road of prostitution, thus conflating courtesans and prostitutes. Thinking about it, it’s also pretty amazing how the geisha managed to take back their reputation, moving away from their false image of prostitutes to one of artists.

Overall, this was a fascinating book that I really should have picked up sooner. I’ve been to Keong Saik Road, but I never realised it had such a history! I would definitely recommend this to people who are looking for a unique look at Singapore’s past.

P.s. this book made me think of Geisha of Gion by Iwasaki Mineko – another must read if you’ve got some misconceptions about geisha and want to learn about them from someone who was one of the most famous geishas of her time.

P.p.s I didn’t post for the last two days because it was Singapore’s National Day yesterday (and I spent the day before preparing cookie dough and banana pudding for my cousins who were coming over) so I wanted to share this year’s National Day Parade song since this book is about Singapore too!