The result is , a book about a gifted 13-year-old named Cedric whose family is injured in a car accident while they are on holiday in the US.

Cedric wakes up in hospital to find he has lost both parents, and the tale takes readers on his emotional journey as he is buffeted by feelings of grief, anger and survivor's guilt.

Sent to boarding school in Britain, the musically talented teen struggles to cope as trauma causes him to turn mute. But with the help of newfound friends and the power of music, he regains his voice - along with hope in life.

Written in English, the novel is released by Chinese-language publisher Chung Hwa Book Co.

The environment Wong describes is very different from the competitive world he grew up in. "I studied in Queen's College in my secondary years and was surrounded by top students. The pressure in class and from examination were tremendous," he says.

After finishing Form Seven, Wong went to London to work as a student accountant. He was 19 years old, and spent six years in Britain working towards his qualifications as a chartered accountant.

"Those days, you didn't need a university degree to be in the field. And you wanted to come out to work and earn a living as fast as possible," he recalls.

"It was a lot of pressure as the pass rate was very low. All through the six years, I didn't come back to Hong Kong to see my family. Nowadays, Hong Kong students who study overseas come back to Hong Kong six times a year."

Everyone around him, his colleagues and clients, were older and he often had to travel to other parts of England for auditing work. "I had to do my laundry and cooking while working. It was very tough and I was lonely," Wong says. "So I don't want my boy to be worn out when he is 18, like I was."

Describing his son, now 14 years old, as a "talented and optimistic" teenager, Wong adds: "I have always wanted him to enjoy his childhood and school years."

However, he concedes that it's easier said than done.

"In our Asian society, we parents face peer pressure from other parents, too. We all want our children to have the best education, to practise the piano and do everything. But will your children be independent and able to handle their problems? Will they have a genuine interest in all the things you forced them to learn when they get older and are on their own?"

Writing the book has been a way to realise his own dreams, to do all the things he liked but didn't have a chance to do when he was in his teens.

"I loved to sing and I wanted to learn to play the piano. But I was too busy with study and work to pursue any of those. I'd also loved to have attended boarding school; all of my cousins had," Wong says.

The Chinese translation of his book is scheduled to be released next year, and Wong hopes it will leave young people with two messages.

First, "no one can do it alone, no matter how strong you are. We all need help from other people when we're faced with challenges in life", he says.

For the second, he borrows from the signature sign-off from US radio personality Casey Kasem - keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.

Wong is reaching for the stars, too: he hopes his tale can be turned into a movie and has sent a copy to Ang Lee through the director's brother, Lee Khan.

"There is no guarantee Ang Lee will read it," Wong says. "But I am an optimistic person. You never know unless you try."