Though ruled by British overlords, the Chinese of colonial Malaya still cling to ancient customs. And in the sleepy port town of Malacca, ghosts and superstitions abound.
Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt family, has few prospects. But fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. They want her to become a ghost bride for the family’s only son, who recently died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, a traditional ghost marriage is used to placate a restless spirit. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at a terrible price.
After an ominous visit to the opulent Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lim’s handsome new heir, Tian Bai. Night after night, she is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits and monstrous bureaucracyβincluding the mysterious Er Lang, a charming but unpredictable guardian spirit. Li Lan must uncover the Lim family’s darkest secretsβand the truth about her own familyβbefore she is trapped in this ghostly world forever.
My Review: 4 stars
Two thumbs up for creativity. What a refreshing burst of history mixed with folklore then sprinkled with romance and mystery. I found myself consumed in this magical ghost world of Li Lan and her crazy cast of characters that surrounded her. Li Lan quietly reminded me of Belle from Beauty and The Beast in that she was raised by her dad, consumed herself in books, very rarely left home and of course, in her choice of mates. Β This first time author has a great gift for description so that you can truly immerse yourself in the 1890βs of Malaya and taste their food, see their garments and easily imagine their streets. Over all, a well done debut novel.
Quotes I liked:
I liked the moon, with its soft silver beams. It was at once elusive and filled with trickery, so that lost objects that had rolled into the crevices of a room were rarely found, and the books read in its light seemed to contain all sorts of fanciful stories that were never there the next morning.β
– βAmah always said too much thinking made me pale and peaky. Of course, she was perfectly capable in the next breath of scolding me for going into the sun and ruining my complexion. She never seemed bothered by her ability to embrace two opposing things at once.β
Review:The Measure by Nikki Erlick was a book I waited far too long to read. I just couldnβt stomach the idea that everyone in the world would find out their relative life span. The whole idea of this scared me but when my book club chose to read it, I dug in with enthusiasm.Iβm so glad I did. This book is more about life and how we live it, rather than about dying. Itβs told by a cast of eight characters who are deeply affected by the strings they received. The length of the string parallels the length of your life. All the characters are struggling with their results because even if he or she gets a long string, there will still be people they know will be gone soon.How the world at large handles the strings was so well done. People are switching boxes hoping it could change their destiny. Support groups are offered. Protests occur. The world is in a very different place. Much of this book made me think about the differences between fate and destiny. This story offers many intertwined connections between the characters that makes for a powerful and meaningful ending. Iβm so looking forward to whatβs next from this author. @nikkierlick @williammorrowbooks William Morrow π Would you open a box that told you how long your lifespan is?#themeasure #scifilight#bookreader #bookclubpick #goodbookfairy... See MoreSee Less