A Bit of Earth was the fourth novel that Lim wrote after a span of 8 years from Fistful of Colours. To me, I see some very identical styles present in both novels, which is a little surprising considering how far apart in time the novels were written.
In both novels, Lim writes about one protagonist and how he/she grows while surrounded by the many cultures and histories of the people around them. In Fistful of Colours, Suwen is surrounded by the history of the Ong family and the family backgrounds of her friend. In A Bit of Earth, Tuck Heng is surrounded by the Babas, the White Cranes, and the stories of his friends and wives. The style used here is pretty similar. Both protagonists go through pressures that they struggle with and undergo much tension when forced to confront who they really are.
I feel that Lim is very clever in interweaving multiple stories together that creates different perspectives, thus adding to the colourful vibrant nature of her novels. The plots are not dull and the characters vivid and real.
However, I prefer Fistful of Colours greatly to A Bit of Earth as I find the characters in A Bit of Earth too extreme for my liking. Perhaps this is because living in post-modern Singapore, I have no firsthand encounters with the coolies of babas mentioned in the novel, thus many a times, I find myself recoiling against the crude nature and language of the characters being portrayed. They are too unfamiliar and I find myself unable to relate to them.
Of course, that is just my attitude towards the story itself, but I must give credit to the author for her ability to engage different cultures and background and weave them together, making her characters come to life.
