You can not read this and it not affect you. I’ve only read the excerpt, but I haven’t stopped thinking about this story since. So many perspectives. So much pain. Is there ANY hope for justice, healing, and a future for all involved? Does Em’s (Marianne’s) urgency to help her sister stem from guilt or sisterly love, or both? Ms.Lim tells her “Marianne? You do know how to use a sword.” That statement gives this reader hope-not just for Nor, but Em and her family as well.