An evocative, multi-generational tale of a family haunted by the death of a young concubine. For fans of Dinah Jefferies and Amy Tan. In 1930s Malaya a sixteen-year-old girl, dreaming of marriage to her sweetheart, is sold as a concubine to a rich old man desperate for an heir. Trapped, and bullied by his spiteful wife, Yu Lan plans to escape with her babyson, despite knowing that they will … babyson, despite knowing that they will pursue her to the ends of the earth.
Four generations later, her great-grandson, Nick, will return to Malaysia, looking for the truthbehind the facade of a house cursed by the unhappy past. Nothing can prepare him for what he will find.
This exquisitely rich novel brings to life a vanished world– a world of abandoned ghost houses, inquisitive monkeys, smoky templesand a panoply of gods and demons. A world where a poor girl can be sold to fulfil a rich man’s dream. But though he can buy her body, he can never capture her soul, nor quench her spirit.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:
‘Compelling, atmospheric and emotional’
‘Well-written, compelling … A tale of duty, treachery, misery and superstition’
‘Wonderfully drawn characters, searing emotion, powerful intensity and nail-biting drama’.
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An evocative read…….Steeped in tradition of Old-World Orient beliefs, this book will pull you into a secret world you may not know much about or are even ready to learn about. But you will. Historically, in 1930s Malaysia, it was a time of “do what you must” no matter the outcome. Imagine, your freedoms are taken away without question as is with our main character, 16 yr. old Yu Lan. Her life has been planned, manipulated, ingrained, and she has no idea what’s in store for her at such a tender age…..
The characters are well-rounded and intense. The story is exotic, haunting, cursed, eventful and at the same time, full of soul and spirit. A sad and sorrowful multi-generational look into the lives of these characters will have you on edge as it twists and turns between good, bad and downright evil. It will pursue you in a way you feel you need to step in and set things straight before the unimaginable happens.
I found this to be educating, and well written, however the transition between past and present was a bit confusing in spots early on. This was an ARC e-reader copy (found a few mix-ups on the transition dates used and I believe due to that I felt I was reading an entirely different novel at one point).
That being said, the story was one I would recommend especially if you are a fan of Historical Fiction; my genre of choice. Thank you Carol Jones and NetGalley for this opportunity. I enjoyed this novel and it’s significance.
Novels & Latte Book Club
Novels N Latte
ARC
The Concubine’s Child by Carol Jones
As I began to read this book I was afraid it might not hold my interest but at 3am in the morning, after being unable to stop reading, I decided that indeed it had caught and kept my interest after all. That said, it was a sad book that left me thinking that all of the women in the book seemed to have more sorrow than happiness in their lives.
In 1930 Yu Lan is sold at sixteen to become a concubine thus dashing all her hopes and dreams of a happy life. The author then takes us to 2016 where we meet her great grandson Nick who seems to be longing for roots and the child his wife Sarah is not ready for. The story flips between the past and present weaving the life stories of the characters together seamlessly while painting their backgrounds and personalities with a vibrant if sometimes dark palette.
All of my senses were engaged as well as my mind as I read of what is now Malaysia – past and present. I thought of the difficulties faced by each female character in the book and how she chose to deal with what she was facing. I thought of the relationships between the women and those that were part of their lives and then thought of the choices they made, why they made them and whether or not they would have been my own if I found myself in their situation.
This was a multi-layered, thought provoking, rather depressing look at life with only a bit of hope given that the final characters in 2018 and beyond might lay their ghosts to rest and find their way to a happier future.
Thank you to NetGalley and Aria-Head of Zeus for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4-5 Stars