'The Puppet Master, the storyteller, the dispeller of worries … this is the story he sings.'
The Dispeller of Worries is the story of two people from opposite ends of the world, from two different cultures, whose lives intersect for a temporary period of time. This evocative novel uses interweaving narratives moving in time between Southeast Asia, Europe and Australia, told by the two narrators, Chui Hong and Rysiek. Chui's search for answers draws her to two men: Rysiek (from Poland) and Naga (her cousin). Both Chui (from Malaysia) and Rysiek have experienced traumatic events in their lives, which cause them to stay stuck, unable to move forwards or backwards. The puppet master of the shadow play, the dalang, the dispeller of worries, like the author is the manipulator of its style and structure. Slavic and Malay myths, folk tales, dreams, shadow theatre and the drama of daily life go into creating this novel of colliding worlds. It is also an exploration of belonging, identity and heritage. For Chui, trying to understand her family allows her to grasp her personal identity. For Rysiek, who migrates to Australia, it is a coming to terms with his old and new countries. Through the personal histories of the two narrators, the uncertainties of life and love, of obsession, death, murder and the precariousness of memory, the novel tells the story of two people having to adjust to living again.
