The Novel Book Club met on April 16 to discuss The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo. This is the author’s first novel, and I am hoping there will be more to come as I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I thought it would be an epic Asian historical novel but it turned out to be a historical paranormal romance coming of age!
The story is about Li Lan, a 17 year old Chinese girl from a good family whose wealth is failing. The prosperous Lim family offers Li Lan the position of ghost bride to the recently deceased family heir to appease his spirit.
Her father takes it more as a joke, her Amah (nanny) is insulted, and Li Lan is intrigued. Although it means she will not be able to marry another man or have children, her father’s debits will be paid and she will live in comfort for the rest of her life. To complicate things, on a visit to the Lim mansion Li Lan meets a man repairing clocks and becomes infatuated with him.
However that night she starts to have disturbing dreams about the deceased son, Tian Ching. They go on night after night, becoming so alarming that her Amah takes her to see a medium.When Li Lan overdoses on the medium’s potion, she leaves her body and enters the spirit world. There, she meets many people who both help and betray her and she has some tough decisions to make about her future.
This book is a delight to read, it is full of imagery of the culture, clothing, food and superstitions. It leaves you will a better understanding of the Chinese beliefs of the afterlife and what those spirit offerings are for. And you will want a little horse just like Chandana.
The book club meets next on May 21 at 7pm to discuss Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie. If you want to join the discussion, ask for the book at the Library front desk and come join us!
