It took Leung only 44 days to finish her new book, although she admits that it was hard to muster enough confidence to pick up writing again after the long hiatus.

Li Xin, the retired editor-in-chief of SDX Joint Publishing House, and a longtime friend of Leung's, points out that although Leung was immensely popular in the 1990s because of her signature business-themed love novels, her books are more than just the love stories of professionals.

They also reflect social reality and the influence of historical events, he says. So he is not at all surprised that Leung has come up with a new book reflecting on history and the times.

For Leung, writing this book had been a different experience from previous ones.

She spent much time researching and studying the history of that period before she worked on the novel. For earlier novels, she rarely had to do research because she had firsthand experience with the business world, she says.

She says that among all the books she has written, Our Stories - A Woman in Times of Turmoil: Hong Kong Stories in 1949-59 is her favorite.

Leung also says she plans to write several books set in Hong Kong in the coming decades.