About
In this episode, a conversation with Miriam Sved, author of a new novel, Illuminated Ruins.
For Uri and Lujza Weiss, life in the British colony of Hong Kong is a tailored mask. The two are Hungarian Jewish doctors who escaped the wreckage of Europe in the 1930s only to endure Japanese occupation – but they have rebuilt themselves through a fragile, assimilated restraint.
The arrival of the Mackay’s upends this peace. Hugh is a charismatic American with shadowy connections and Nancy is his effortlessly poised wife. As the families entwine, their daughters – Millie and Anne – form a bond so intense it threatens to consume them. While the adults navigate the social rituals of the colony, the children retreat to the island’s illuminated ruins. Playing among bombed-out shells and wartime bunkers, they mirror a world of missions and cover stories. But when Anne reveals a truth Millie’s parents have kept unspoken for a decade, the foundations of their universe fracture.
Enjoyed what you heard? Click here to purchase the book: https://www.readings.com.au/product/9781761154959/illuminated-ruins--miriam-sved--2026--9781761154959
For Uri and Lujza Weiss, life in the British colony of Hong Kong is a tailored mask. The two are Hungarian Jewish doctors who escaped the wreckage of Europe in the 1930s only to endure Japanese occupation – but they have rebuilt themselves through a fragile, assimilated restraint.
The arrival of the Mackay’s upends this peace. Hugh is a charismatic American with shadowy connections and Nancy is his effortlessly poised wife. As the families entwine, their daughters – Millie and Anne – form a bond so intense it threatens to consume them. While the adults navigate the social rituals of the colony, the children retreat to the island’s illuminated ruins. Playing among bombed-out shells and wartime bunkers, they mirror a world of missions and cover stories. But when Anne reveals a truth Millie’s parents have kept unspoken for a decade, the foundations of their universe fracture.
Enjoyed what you heard? Click here to purchase the book: https://www.readings.com.au/product/9781761154959/illuminated-ruins--miriam-sved--2026--9781761154959