Preeta Samarasan's second novel is set in Malaysia post May 13, 1969, where a group of people settle down in a secluded mansion in Cameron Highlands, eschewing labels of race and religion, and hoping to remain apart from the country's changing political climate with its increasing religious polarisation. Things take a turn, however, when they are joined by Salmah, a Malay Muslim woman. We speak with Preeta about the complexities of depicting these fraught realities, and how she captured a particularly Malaysian sound with her prose. We close off by reviewing Tale of the Dreamer's Son.