When I started this book my mood was something like “I don’t know if I’m going to like”, it then became “It’s a good book”, at the end it was “Why do I have stop reading, one more page please”.
It made me think of a luscious exotic landscape, full of wonders and exciting things.
I loved the mix of genre, from women’s fiction to mystery, as well as I liked the magic realism and the references to Chinese and Malaysian tradition and lore.
The history background is fascinating, it gives you back the atmosphere of 1930s Malaysia and the depiction of the women condition is interesting as well as the one of the relationships between locals and Europeans.
It took me some time to get involved in the plot but once I was hooked there was no way I was going to put the book down.
The cast of characters is well written and fleshed out, I loved them all for different reasons. Each of them was interesting and somehow relatable.
A very good book, one of those book you don’t want to end and, at same time, make you wish to reach the last pages and see how will things will evolve.
I will surely read other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for this ARC