Seeking a “Model Answer” in a Life Without One

There may be model answers in examinations, but life itself offers none.

This was the central reflection behind Model Answer (《模范答案》), the latest publication by Singapore theatre practitioner and writer Lim Hai Yen, which was officially launched on 14 December 2025. Rooted in lived experience rather than theory, the book grew out of Lim’s journey accompanying her three children through different stages of life — and, in the process, re-examining her own understanding of family, aspiration, and choice.

Five years after the publication of Only Four Pairs of Shoes for My Children, Model Answer brought together 59 essays written between 2015 and 2025, previously published across newspapers and magazines. Organised into five chapters, the collection traced everyday moments across three generations — moments that were at once deeply personal and quietly universal. It functioned both as a record of parenting and as an ongoing reflection on how one lives with uncertainty.

In her author’s note, Lim articulated a belief that guided the book’s creation: that each individual should be allowed to live the life they desire, to become the person they choose to be, and to do so with joy and integrity. Life, she observed, is filled with countless questions, large and small. Different people arrive at different answers, and no single answer can ever claim to be definitive. Rather than chasing socially approved “model answers”, she urged readers to create their own — and to live them fully.

This perspective resonated strongly with those who have long followed Lim’s work. Family and psychotherapist Yuan Fengzhu, who wrote the book’s foreword, noted the author’s grounded approach to marriage, family, and creativity, as well as her ability to weave real-life experience into her writing without pretence. Writer You Jin described Lim’s words as both a source of warmth and a compass — offering comfort while gently guiding direction. Former Member of Parliament Dr Lee Bee Wah reflected on Lim’s perseverance and quiet determination, recalling personal moments that mirrored the spirit of endurance found in her writing.

The launch event itself reflected the ethos of the book. Rather than a conventional literary presentation, it unfolded as a multi-generational, interdisciplinary gathering — blending conversation, theatrical readings, music, and performance.

At its core, Model Answer was not about offering guidance, instruction, or solutions. It was an invitation — to trust that life does not need to conform to a single template, and that meaning is often found in the act of navigating, rather than arriving.

In a world increasingly driven by metrics, outcomes, and comparison, Model Answer quietly reminded us that the most honest answers are often the ones we continue to shape, revise, and live into — together.