Book overview
The bestselling book that inspired
the musical play and film The King and I
"Enchanting.
. . . The author wears her scholarship with grace, and the amazing story she
has to tell is recounted with humor and understanding. And what a story it is!" --Atlantic Monthly
Anna Leonowens, a proper
Englishwoman, was an unlikely candidate to change the course of Siamese (Thai)
history. A young widow and mother, her services were engaged in the 1860's by
King Mongkut of Siam to help him communicate with foreign governments and be
the tutor to his children and favored concubines.
Stepping off the steamer from
London, Anna found herself in an exotic land she could have only dreamed of: a
lush landscape of mystic faiths and curious people, and a king's palace
bustling with royal pageantry, ancient custom, and harems. One of her pupils,
the young prince Chulalongkorn, was particularly influenced by Leonowens and
her Western ideals. He learned about Abraham Lincoln and the tenets of
democracy from her, and years later he would become Siam's most progressive
king. He guided the country's transformation from a feudal state to a modern
society, abolishing slavery and making many other radical reforms.
Weaving
meticulously researched facts with richly imagined scenes, Margret Landon
recreates an unforgettable portrait of life in a forgotten exotic land. Originally
published in 1944, and translated into dozens of languages, Anna
and the King of Siam continues to delight and enchant readers
around the world.
