William Morrow The Ghost Bride

Set in Malaya (Malaysia before Independence) in 1893, The Ghost Bride fuses the varied cultures of that time, highlighting their roots as well as their compromises with each other. Primarily, the focus was on the immigrated Chinese under the British Rule. The heart of the story lies with a young Chinese girl named Li Lan who's placed in the awkward position of becoming a ghost bride to a dead man. It's a rare tradition for one to be living and the other to be dead and would lead to a childless, lonely life but Li Lan be well taken care of. The first complication strikes when she finds her heart yearning for the living nephew, Lim Tian Bai while suffering dreams from the dead Lim Tian Ching, his cousin. Revolted by the idea of being a ghost bride, Li Lan never suspected she may have an opportunity to find out what it meant to be both dead and alive. This then changes everything. The remarkable research and masterful storytelling made it hard to put down. I loved reading about the different cultures and seeing what changed because of the British and what still remained from the Islams. The superstitions, especially those from Li Lan's Amah (a type of nanny) were fascinating but also hinted at the seriousness of the afterlife. There are wonderful, well-rounded characters whose flaws and quirks make them so likeable you kind of wish you knew them. For me it was Amah. The Ghost Bride is a fresh take on the paranormal genre and I had a great time reading Yangsze Choo's debut. I'll definitely be watching out for future books by this author.

This book and character was a whole surprise for me... at first I was shipping Li-lan and Tian Bai until Er Lang comes... he was a 180 turn for me... the character was so good so charismatic then tension between the character and his boldness to go straight to point. He is one of the character that will leave a long lasting impression on the reader... I wish there was more of Er Lang and LiLan story but I am not disappointed with the story has for one.

Excellent ghost story of the "old school", with a very believable foundation in Chinese folklore. Writing is fluent and well-crafted, with some local flavour, but not overloaded with Chinese/Malay idioms. Looking forward to reading her other books.

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5 out of 5 Stars I started this book expecting it to be one thing, then it spun around on me and went in a completely unexpected direction, and I definitely enjoyed the ride! Li Lan, an impoverished but genteel Chinese girl living in Malaya, receives an offer of marriage--to a dead man. The man's wealthy family,are seeking a bride to help his soul rest in peace, an arrangement the dire financial straits of Li Lan's family makes hard to resist. But resist she does, and Li Lan soon finds herself haunted by the dead man, the barrier between the living and the dead becoming thinner and thinner around her. This is the start of the book: a well researched historical fiction, with a supernatural twist that somehow feels natural to the plot. However, within a a few chapters, catastrophe strikes for Li Lan, and even this unusual pairing can no longer contain the story. I suddenly found myself immersed in a murder mystery/ghost story that jumps between planes of existence and across the barrier of life and death. This description might make you think the book is chaotic, but the author beautifully weaves everything together into an interesting and original shape. The characters in this book stand out for being superbly written. Their flaws, hopes, and dreams seem real and believable. I greatly enjoyed the repartee between the heroine, Li Lan, and her occasionally unwilling companion, Er Lang. My difficulty in this review is that I am loathe to tell too much of the plot, as one of the highlights of this book was the joy and surprise of following the story as it unfolds. In all, a well-written and enjoyable book. If you don't mind a bit of a ghost story with your historical fiction, or a bit of a monster movie in your mystery, this is a great book for you. The author brings colonial Malaya to life (and afterlife) in this book with vivid, accurate detail. Her use of Chinese and Malayan beliefs and superstition is glorious and well used in the plot. I would love to see a sequel on the horizon! Check out more reviews by checking out my blog! [...]