Q&A with 'Green Island' author Shawna Yang Ryan

Shawna Yang Ryan had to deal with the emotional consequences of revisiting Taiwan's darkest times. Photo: Anna Wu

Green Island tells a fictional tale of love and loyalty set in the harrowing period of post-WWII Taiwan, a country in a time when dissidents could expect brutal punishment from a repressive government.

Despite the nation’s sociopolitical turnaround (its first female president was elected on Jan 16 this year), many people today continue to harbour fears of openly discussing the 38-year period of martial law, known as the “White Terror”.