Wang Gungwu’s account of his university education captures the excitement, the ambition and the choices of a generation that saw it as their responsibility to build the new nations of Southeast Asia. The exploration of the emotional and intellectual journey towards the formation of an identity extends in this volume into an appreciation of love, family life, and the life of the mind. Wise and moving, this is a fascinating reflection on identity and belonging, and on the ability of the individual to find a place amidst the historical currents that have shaped Asia.