The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie (A Re-read)

📚 Retired Colonel and Mrs. Bantry are a respectable couple in the little village of St. Mary Mead. When a body of a stranger (a young woman) was found in their library, Mrs. Bantry was afraid that scandal will hit her husband hard. So, she quickly asked her friend, Mrs. Marple, to investigate the murder.

📚 The young woman isn't the regular set of village girl. She's rather extraordinary - with heavy make-up, platinum-blonde hair, and silver-spangled dress. Does she have something to do with Basil Blake, a film worker who's just moved in? No, he said he didn't know her. She was finally identified as Ruby Keene, a dancer, by her cousin. But who murdered her? And how and why did her body appear in Colonel Bantry's library?

📚 Ruby's missing was first reported by Conway Jefferson, a crippled wealthy man who's in the process of adopting Ruby, as he's disappointed with his own nearest family (son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and step grandson). Is this the murder motive the police (Superintendent Harper) is looking for

📚 In order to investigate, Mrs. Bantry and Miss Marple is staying at Hotel Majestic, where Ruby worked, and Conway Jefferson stayed. It was here that most of the investigations are going on. Then a second murder happened. A women's body was found inside a burnt car. The car belongs to a man who's staying in the hotel. Are the two murders connected?

📚 This mystery seems simple at first, but it gets more complicated along the way. Miss Marple takes quite an active role in the investigation, thanks to her sharp observation. Small trifles like the dead girl's bitten fingernails proved to be one of the key-clues to this complicated mystery with few twists. An enjoyable read for fans of Golden Age detective stories.

Rating: 4 / 5

This book counts for: British Crime Classics Challenge 2023

For Bingo Card: Re-Read

For Monthly Theme: Books by Agatha Christie

 

Away with the Penguins (2020) by Hazel Prior

🐧 First of all, Away with the Penguins is the same book as How the Penguins Saved Veronica; the first is the UK title, the latter, the US one (isn't it annoying how publishers keep changing titles? I think they should keep the original one, except for translation - and they, too, should translate from the original title). But let's put that aside, and let the book itself shines, because it is quite marvellous!

🐧 Veronica McCreedy is eighty-five years old lady - a curmudgeonly tough old nut who lives alone with an assistant in Scotland. Though physically declining, her spirit still brightly shines. She is rich but doesn't have any family left to bequeath it to. Or so she thought.

🐧 Now what she needs is to transfer what's left in her into a worthy cause, like what her father had always taught her. And she's found one: penguins! But first thing's first: she needs to make sure she didn't have any family left. A hired agent gave her the confirmation: she has a grandson she never knew, the son of her longtime estranged and dead son!

🐧 Patrick Fuller grew up hating his father for leaving his vulnerable mother in the lurch, when Patrick was a baby. Now he's an unkempt young man without purpose, semi-addicted to dope after his girlfriend left him for another man. It is in this condition that Veronica McCreedy suddenly entered his life as a grandmother he never knew he had.

🐧 Their first meeting is very awkward. Two opposite people from two very different generations, who keep their own bitter secrets, with only one thread connect them: a Joe Fuller, or Enzo, the son Veronica must give up long ago, and a father Patrick grew up hating - well, it's almost impossible to unite them. But nature always has its unique healing quality. In this case, it is represented by the penguins.

🐧 Three scientists do research on how to save Penguins in a colony in Antarctica, but they are in financial difficulty. Veronica is eager to leave her money for this research, and despite the scientist team's warning that their quarter is by no means adequate to accommodate an elderly, Veronica stubbornly comes to Antarctica to see the penguins. What'll happen next? Will Veronica change the penguins? Or is it her life that will be changed by the penguins? And how about her relationship with Patrick?

🐧 This is one of the most wholesome, heartwarming books I've read lately. I loved how the story is told alternately from Veronica's and Patrick's views. It provides the reader outlets to get to know each character more intimately. Then, Terry's (one of the scientists) blogging about penguin adds a charming aspect of the penguin's cause. One of interesting things I learned is that penguins are used by scientists as indicator of ecosystem changes. On the whole, it is a refreshing and entertaining novel, beautifully written - sometimes touching, sometimes funny. Oh, and I adore Pip, the little penguin. Prior wrote the novel so vividly that I felt like seeing cute Pip alive, while occasionally petting him! ❤

Rating: 5 / 5

 

Blogger-Inspired Wishlist, Ep. 8: A Little Something for Everyone

Blogger-Inspired Wishlist is a feature where I post recent additions to my wish list, which had been inspired by reviews from my fellow bloggers. It includes some synopsis, as well as some excerpts of the review which have intrigued me, complete with a link to the blogger's original post.

The present selection is so random, I think there will be something for almost everyone. 

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

Inspired by Davida @ The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog

Synopsis:
When Takako's boyfriend reveals he's marrying someone else, she reluctantly accepts her eccentric uncle's offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above the shop. Hoping to nurse her broken heart in peace, Takako is surprised to encounter new worlds within the stacks of books lining the Morisaki bookshop. As summer fades to autumn, Satoru and Takako discover they have more in common than they first thought. The Morisaki bookshop has something to teach them both about life, love, and the healing power of books.

From Davida's review:
"The really fun part of this book was Takako’s getting to know her uncle Satoru, who was really sweet, if a bit annoying at times. The development of that relationship, together with her growing love of reading books, was really at the heart of this story, and what kept it going from start to finish. The author really used this as the basis for the book, and brought other things along to put obstacles in their paths, as well as bolster their commitments. This is the main reason why it really must be considered a coming-of-age story."

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby

Inspired by Lory @ Entering the Enchanted Castle 

Synopsis:
In December 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of French ‘Elle’ and the father of two young children, suffered a massive stroke and found himself paralysed and speechless, but entirely conscious, trapped by what doctors call ‘locked-in syndrome’. Using his only functioning muscle – his left eyelid – he began dictating this remarkable story, painstakingly spelling it out letter by letter. His book offers a haunting, harrowing look inside the cruel prison of locked-in syndrome, but it is also a triumph of the human spirit.

From Lory's review:
"Bauby writes with wry humor and an impressive lack of cynicism about the humiliations imposed by those around him who don’t understand or don’t want to engage with his condition. But his restraint all the more brings home the fact that even within a person whose inner world is completely closed off to us, there is a living being deserving of respect and love. The butterfly trapped in the diving bell finds release through communication, through the links that we forge through empathy and understanding."

A Month in Provence by Gillian Harvey

Inspired by Marg @ The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader

Synopsis:
Interior designer Nicky always used to know how to make the best of things. Ever since she lost her husband though, things haven’t been easy. She’s had to raise her two daughters alone and she’s so proud to see them all grown up, and she knows that’s down to her. But she can’t help but feel like she doesn’t know what to do with her life now… But then her best friend begs her to help out. Jenny is a TV exec and her new renovation show is in peril. Only Nicky can help. The catch – Nicky needs to fly to Provence… tomorrow. To renovate a tumbledown B&B.

From Marg's review:
"One of the things that I really liked about Nicky and Robert is that they are both widows, so they really understand each other, and that they are both expats. Normally you will read these new start stories and one will be moving from the UK but the other character will be French/Italian/Greek etc. I also liked that Nicky had been alone for a long time. Many times these stories feature women who have just recently separated from their partner, move to France and find true love in the space of 300 pages. I also really enjoyed reading about the town of Rousillon. It sounds like a beautiful place on the pages of the book. I did go and look at some pictures of the town and it did look gorgeous!I have read several of Gillian Harvey's books now and have enjoyed them all."

A Paris Odyssey by Axel Forrester

Inspired by Harvee @ Book Dilletante

 

Synopsis:
American Grant Decker is in Paris on a photography assignment. When he arrives at Gare du Nord train station, he discovers just how unprepared he is to navigate this new world where the language is both vaguely familiar and baffling. ‘”Vous ne parlez pas français?” My brain turned around three times and then went to sleep!’ Determined to get his bearings, Grant explores the length and breadth of the city on the metro. But it is when he makes new friends among some street performers that he discovers a different Paris. These off-beat characters help him sharpen his eye and open his heart to the many love stories that weave through ‘the city of light.’

From Harvee's review:
"At first I thought this was a memoir, the details sounded to true and the narrator so authentic. Then I realized that the book was actually fiction - a novel about Grant the photographer on his first trip to Paris, written by a female author! This really didn't matter, in the long run."

Death by Coffee by Alex Erickson

Inspired by: Rekha @ The Book Decoder 

Synopsis:
When Krissy Hancock and her best friend Vicki decide to open a bookstore café in their new town of Pine Hills, they decide to call it "Death by Coffee," after Krissy’s father’s most famous mystery novel. Little do they know how well the name fits…

From Rekha's review:
"Coming to the murder mystery, we have plenty of suspects there. Krissy manages to question them all and looks like each of them had a motive. Once again, Krissy has this unique ability to pester people – which finally ends with them talking to her so that she stops bothering them. Lol! The identity of the killer was shocking and unexpected. There’s a shocking development before Krissy comes face-to-face with the killer. I didn’t see this coming. Didn’t expect it either. Overall, Death by Coffee by Alex Erickson is an entertaining and engrossing read."

Foul Play at Seal Bay by Judy Leigh

Inspired by Davida @ The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog 

Synopsis:
It was meant to be the start of quiet season in the sleepy Cornish village of Seal Bay, but not for sexagenarian librarian and wild swimming enthusiast Morwenna Mutton. Because when a local businessman is found on the beach with a bread knife is his back, bungling police officer DI Rick Tremayne is soon out of his depth. Morwenna knows it’s going to be down to her to crack the case.

From Davida's review:
"Leigh sets up the basic premise very intelligently, where we have no reason to disbelieve why Morwenna wants to find the killer, or why she becomes endangered herself. Then there’s Cornwall… what a beautiful place in England to put a bunch of cozy mysteries! I must praise Leigh for some of the action/danger scenes which were deftly written, and definitely had me on the edge of my seat a couple of times. There’s no questioning that this book is a truly enjoyable read, and an excellent introduction to Morwenna as a brand new, and loveable amateur sleuth."

Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant by Darci Hannah

Inspired by Carla @ Aunt Agatha's 

Synopsis:
Lindsey prefers to keep her bakeshop’s Halloween decor light and autumnal, rather than gruesome and ghoulish. But everyone knows her lighthouse home is haunted. Some intrepid teens have even tried to break in to witness the resident ghost themselves. Dreading Halloween night, Lindsey reluctantly allows her influencer and podcaster best friend, Kennedy, to host a live ghost hunting investigation in the lighthouse, conducted by a professional team. Protective of her ghost, Lyndsey is understandably nervous about what they might uncover . . .

From Carla's review:
"Darci Hannah’s fourth book is a wonderful addition to her series and I highly recommend this book to any looking for a delightful Halloween escape lakeside. There is a little bit of something for everyone – dogs, a ghost, costumes, a murder, romance, intrigue, and of course pumpkin spiced everything. One really can’t have too much of that, and there are some rather tasty recipes in the back that readers will have a hard time passing up."

Mrs Hart’s Marriage Bureau by Sheena Wilkinson

Inspired by Simon @ Stuck in a Book 

Synopsis:
April McVey hasn’t a romantic bone in her body. So how has she found herself at the door of Mrs Hart’s Marriage Bureau, job application in hand? Matchmaker Martha hopes the lively Irish girl will breathe fresh air into a business struggling to keep with the times amid the tumult of 1930s Britain. So when lonely widower Fabian arrives at the bureau, the pair’s matchmaking skills – and professionalism – meet their first true test. Mrs Hart’s Marriage Bureau is a charming and witty romantic comedy about friendship, loneliness, and the unexpected places where we find fulfilment.

From Simon's review:
"But most of all I enjoyed Mrs Hart’s Marriage Bureau because of April. Give me a spirited and garrulous heroine and I’m sold. I love the delightful chaos of a character who combines good intentions with putting her foot in it. It’s a real treat of a book, and I had a lovely time reading it."

Have you own/read these books? If you haven't, which book appeals to you most?

Adventures with Raymond and Bonnie: The Deserted Cottage (2023) by John Williams

Thanks to Troubador (Matador) and NetGalley for providing a review copy of this book, published in January 28th, 2023.

🐦 The Deserted Cottage is the first of Adventures with Raymond and Bonnie series, a children fiction intended for young readers from seven to nine. Raymond is a young robin who lives with his parents on a pile of logs next to a big oak tree at Farmer Tussock's farmyard. His best friend, a young blue tit called Bonnie, also lives in the same place with her parents.

🐦 In this first adventure, Raymond and Bonnie fly to the nearby Fir Cottage, where Mr. Digweed lives alone. "None of the bird families knew his real name; he was just called Mr Digweed simply because he was often in his garden... digging up weeds."

🐦 Mr. Digweed is a lovely old man. He treats the birds very kindly. There's always enough food and water for every bird who ever flies over Fir Cottage. His bird-feeder is never empty. It's no wonder that all the birds in the countryside love him.

🐦 But that particular morning, Raymond and Bonnie found no trace of Mr. Digweed. His cottage was closed and dark, and the feeder empty. What can possibly happen to Mr Digweed? Does he go somewhere? When two days passed, and still no sign of Mr. Digweed, Raymond and Bonnie began to worry.

🐦 Then they saw two strangers arrived at Fir Cottage. Two hooded men made a forced-entry to the house, brought out Mr. Digweed's stuffs, and put them into their van. It's a burglary! They are robbing the birds' dear old friend – they must help poor Mr. Digweed! But what can two little birds do to thwart this evil operation?

🐦 Besides the exciting adventure, there's also a trouble looming in the background. Farmer Tussock is considering to sell the logs where the robins and blue tits live, which means that they must find new homes coming winter. Will they find home as warm and as cozy as the farmyard? Can Raymond and Bonnie still be together? This might provide a good story for the next instalment.

🐦 As a bird-lover, I was excited to find this charming book about birds, with gorgeous illustrations by Simon Goodway (I embedded two of them for you to admire, they are pretty cute, aren't they?) I also loved the countryside setting, the birds (besides Robin's and blue tits, there are Marty the magpie and a bunch of starlings too), and a lovely human being in the good Mr. Digweed, who provides love and comfort for the weaker creatures.

🐦 While this book is originally intended for young readers, it also provides a soothing and relaxing read for adults. If you love birds and in need of a feel-good book, this would be your perfect choice. As for young readers, it will convince them that being kind to others is a worthwhile attitude, and it makes one feeling happy.

Rating: 4,5 / 5

Six Degrees of Separation, from Wifedom to Chef Maurice's Sleuthing

Six Degrees of Separation is a monthly meme, now hosted by Kate @ books are my favorite and best.

On the first Saturday of every month, a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six other books to form a chain. Readers and bloggers are invited to join in by creating their own ‘chain’ leading from the selected book.

This month we start from:

0. Wifedom: Mrs. Orwell's Invisible Life by Anna Funder

"This is the story of the marriage behind some of the most famous literary works of the 20th century —and a probing consideration of what it means to be a wife and a writer in the modern world. 
At the end of summer 2017, Anna Funder found herself at a moment of peak overload. Family obligations and household responsibilities were crushing her soul and taking her away from her writing deadlines. She needed help, and George Orwell came to her rescue.
Eileen O’Shaughnessy married Orwell in 1936. O’Shaughnessy was a writer herself, and her literary brilliance not only shaped Orwell’s work, but her practical common sense saved his life. But why and how, Funder wondered, was she written out of their story? Using newly discovered letters from Eileen to her best friend, Funder re-creates the Orwells’ marriage, through the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War in London. As she peeks behind the curtain of Orwell’s private life she is led to question what it takes to be a writer—and what it is to be a wife.” - Goodreads

This is yet another book I have not read. But the word "Invisible", and the premise of the book: a famous author's spouse, instantly reminded me of another biography of another 'invisible' woman behind a famous author:

1. The Invisible Woman by Claire Tomalin

It's a biography of Ellen Ternan, Charles Dickens' mistress.

Excerpt from my review, particularly about Nelly:
"It is so ironic, that a woman, who once had a great influence towards a great man, must be kept hidden for centuries, scrapped from histories. Even until now, no one knows the exact life of Ellen Ternan. Historians and biographers could only do detective works and deductions, but could never (at least ‘till this day) reveal the whole mystery. Nobody was sure of Nelly’s feeling and aim when she decided to accept Dickens in her life. I think both Nelly and her mother were fascinated and flattered at first, that a man of such importance paid attention to her. They must have thought it’d be a better future for her, for she could never expect a better husband, not with her theatre background. But Nelly was used to adventurous life in theater, and so living secretly and anonymously might have distressed her. Poor Nelly, I only hope that whatever happened in her last years, she have had once happy moments with Dickens." - here's the full review.

Naturally you'd think I would pick a Dickens for my next chain, wouldn't you? So, I would! And this one is the most hilarious I've ever read so far:

2. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens

I've read this two years ago, and I remember there are quite many hilarious comical scenes throughout the story. One I remember vividly because it reminded me of similar scene in another book. Here's the excerpt from my post:

"Then there is the eccentric neighbor of the Nicklebys, an old gentleman who likes to throw vegetables over the wall to express his love to Mrs. Nickleby, which reminded me of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot who throws a marrow over his garden wall in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd." – And this is the full post if you’re curious.

Do you know an author whose one of favorite character from books was from Nicholas Nickleby? Agatha Christie! She mentioned the vegetable-throwing in her autobiography, which I've picked as my third chain:

3. Agatha Christie: An Autobiography

A remarkable person, Agatha Christie was, and a charming autobiography she's written! Here's an excerpt from my review containing the particular scene:

"...Though I enjoyed every second of my listening to this book (I listened to audiobook), as a reader, my favorite part is when Agatha's taking about her favorite books, her writing and publishing books I've read, and various inspirations of them. Agatha's favorite character from Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby was the man who courted Mrs. Nickleby by throwing vegetable marrow. Did this where Poirot's throwing vegetable marrow in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd came from? (She said "maybe", but I'm certain it did!)" - here's the full review.

Now for the next chain, you've probably guessed...

4. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

I don't think I need to put a summary of this book. If you haven't read it, you missed one of the most genius Golden Age crime fictions, with one of the best plot twists ever written. But if you have, you'd probably need this line from the book to refresh your mind about that vegetable-throwing scene: "Now I give up on you. You shall torment me no longer. I will KILL you! [throws vegetable marrow from the garden, and it lands near Dr. Sheppard's feet] Sacre - ! My dear doctor, I beg of you a thousand pardons, but these vegetable marrows, they have driven me to the edges of barbarity! Ah, please to forgive me.” 

The story is narrated by Dr. Sheppard. And this reminded me of another crime fiction I read this year which is told also from a Doctor's point of view - well, he's actually a vet, but still, we call him a Doctor, right?😛

5. Fifty-Four Pigs by Phillip Schott

Excerpt from my review:
“Our sleuth is Dr. Peter Bannerman, an introverted veterinarian who is obsessed with orders, numbers, and lists. One day he saw a swine barn exploded. It belongs to Tom Pearson, one of his neighbors in New Selfos, a small lakeside town near Manitoba. When the Police investigates, they find fifty-five bodies – fifty-four of the pigs (as hinted in the title), and one of human being's.” The full review is here.

Another cozy mystery with a pig would be my last chain:

6. Chef Maurice and a Spot of Truffle by J.F. Lang

Excerpt from my review:
“One day Chef Maurice was annoyed because their mushroom supplier, wild food importer and local foragers, Ollie Meadows, failed to deliver their order. So, Maurice went to Ollie's house, helped himself in through the back door, and found... nobody. Inside the fridge, however, he found a bag of truffle. An exceptional quality of white English truffle, in fact.

Suspecting that Ollie might have found a patch of truffle nearby, Maurice adopted a micro pig whom he trained as a truffle-hunter. Well, he'd prefer a dog actually, but little Hamilton (the pig's name) reacted perfectly to the smell of truffle, so... Off they went one day to nearby woods - Maurice, Arthur, and Hamilton. Then after a few miles, lo and behold… Hamilton ran and squeaked excitedly over there. Did he find it? Yes, he did! Not truffle, though, but Ollie's dead body.” - click here for the full review.

A micro pig pet named Hamilton - isn’t it charming?


Have you read those books? If you do #sixdegree, how it worked out for you this time?

 

20 Books of Summer 2023 Wrap Up & British Classics Crime Challenge 2023 Update

I have pessimistically started this challenge with the lowest expectation of finishing 10 books in three months, but ended up reading no less than 21 books! The last two months are pretty crazy, and that's how I managed to read that many books. Reading is purely escapism for me at this stage of my life.

Books read for 20 Books of Summer 2023 (21/20):

🔹️ Summer by Edith Wharton
🔹️ The Cat Saw Murder by Dolores Hitchens
🔹️ Aunts Aren't Gentlemen by P.G. Wodehouse
🔹️ Art Heists and Hairballs by Bailey Booth
🔹️ One by One They Disappeared by Moray Dalton
🔹️ The Bookshop Murder by Merryn Allingham
🔹️ Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie
🔹️ The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux
🔹️ The President's Hat by Antoine Laurain
🔹️ Heads You Lose by Christianna Brand
🔹️ Fifty-Four Pigs by Phillip Schott
🔹️ Letters from My Windmill by Alphonse Daudet
🔹️ Dear Paris by Janice MacLeod
🔹️ Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien
🔹️ The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
🔹️ The Penguin Pool Murder by Stuart Palmer
🔹️ The Girl, the Dog, and the Writer in Lucerne by Katrina Nannestad
🔹️ The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore
🔹️ The Pleasure Cruise Mystery by Robin Forsythe
🔹️ The 12.30 from Croydon by Freeman Wills Croft
🔹️ Murder in the Mill-Race by E.C.R Lorac


2023 Statistics

📊 Total books read so far: 40
📊 Total short stories read so far: 5
📊 Challenge progress:
* 2023 TBR Pile Challenge: 8
* 2023 Victorian Reading Challenge: 3
* 2023 Audiobook Challenge: 11

British Classics Crime Challenge 2023 Update

After two months, I have managed to read five books for this challenge, crossing five categories from the Bingo Card.

Bingo Card (5x5): 5/17

❌ Set On An Island: Evil Under the Sun (Agatha Christie)
❌ Closed Circle of Suspects: Heads You Lose (Christianna Brand)
❌ Mystery Set on Boat/Ship: The Pleasure Cruise Mystery (Robin Forsythe)
❌ Death on Board: Aircraft: The 12.30 from Croydon (Freeman Wills Croft)
❌ Death by Drowning: Murder in the Mill-Race (E.C.R. Lorac)

#BCCC2023 Monthly Theme:

July - Favorite Detective(s):

- Hercule Poirot (Evil Under the Sun)

August - Author(s) New to Me:

- Robin Forsythe (The Pleasure Cruise Mystery)

- Freeman Wills Croft (The 12.30 from Croydon)

- E.R.C. Lorac (Murder in the Mill-Race)

 

Throwback Thursday #3: Anna and the King of Siam (Margaret Landon)

Throwback Thursday is a monthly bookish meme hosted by Davida @ The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog every first Thursday of the month, where we are highlighting one of our previously published book reviews.

I see this as an opportunity to re-post (or translate posts originally published in Bahasa Indonesia) my old book reviews, previously posted in my old (now inactive) blogs.

For #ThrowbackThursday this week I picked a historical fiction I have read and reviewed in April 2018

Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon

🟢 I am never a movie person. But among the short list of movies I have ever watched (most of them are book-turns-to-movies or movies starred by Matt Damon--yes I'm his fan!), there are even shorter list of movies which I often re-watch. One of them are Anna and the King, starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat.

🟢 I loved its cultural background of 19th century Siam. I also loved the silent and respectable romance of an English woman and the King of Siam, as well as the perfect chemistry of Jodi and Yun-Fat. I learned later that it was based on the diary of a real Anna Leonowens--an English Governess hired by King Mongkut of Siam to teach his children (later on, his harem too). When searching for this diary, I stumbled upon this historical novel by Margaret Landon. She re-wrote Leonowens' diary into a more flowing story (cutting a lot of tedious geographical and anthropological entries of the original diary).

🟢  If you have watched the movie, imagine the much savage, violent, selfish, and distrustful King, in oppose to Yun-Fat's charismatic and charming version; then increase by ten folds the wretched condition of the slave of a rich lady, of whom Anna has helped to buy the freedom. Imagine also how the revengeful King would react when his favorite concubine, Tuptim, was running away with her lover; that instead of regretting his impotence in intervening the court verdict and heartbrokenly but secretly crying for Tuptim's unfair death penalty like Yun-Fat's version, the real King was ten times crueler and more revengeful in his terrible rage. And lastly, the real King, while quite often granting Anna's request, he was also harsh, unfair, and deceitful towards Anna--and certainly very far away from having any sparks of romance! There... if you combine those aspects, you'll get the rough idea of the book.

🟢 When starting this book, I have prepared myself to not expecting any romanticism of the movie. Nevertheless, I was a bit surprised to learn the terrors Anna and her household must have endured during her stay at Siam. And my admiration grew for her. If this was truly Anna Leonowens' account of her real life in Siam, then she must have probably been one of the bravest women ever lived in 19th century. How terrible and dangerous her life and work were, and all for a vague hope that the crown prince Chulalongkorn might bring justice and brighter future to Siam when he succeeded his father!

🟢 The only time I did not hate King Mongkut, was near the end, in his thank you letter to Anna, where he said: "...All that [Chulalongkorn] ever learned of good in his life, you taught him." I think that was one thing teachers would always like to hear.

🟢 Finally, while the movie ends with emotional separation (the dance always makes me cry!), the historical novel ends with a slightly hopeful future, though not as emotional as when Yun-Fat embracing Jodie in their last dance: "It was through the principles laid down in her teaching that he had formed the plans by which he had transformed his kingdom."

🟢 4/5 stars for this tremendous story of an English woman.

*********

Have you read this book? Or watched the movie?