Returning to Hong Kong in 1947 after the Japanese occupation,
seven-year-old Mark Isaac-Williams had the whole of Kowloon as his
playground. Billeted with his family in the once-grand but now
dilapidated Peninsula Hotel, his life was replete with adventure - from
the rooftop to the basement, he knew the hotel's every inch.
Roller-skating and horseback riding in Kowloon's streets and paddling in
the hotel's fountain were a child's dream after the privations of war.
From rickshaws to firecrackers and ladies with bound feet to the
ever-present rat problem and smelly beancurd vendors, the mystique of
Hong Kong in the 1940s and 50s is brought to life by Mark's captivating
and richly illustrated story.