Overview

In this second volume of Penang Chronicles, the eponymous pearl, Martinha Rozells, embodies the diverse heritages of the Straits of Malacca in the 18th century. From her birth in Phuket to her childhood at the court of Kedah, we enter the fascinating world of a well-born woman of the Indies. Meanwhile her new husband, Francis Light, is still the dragon in search of his elusive pearl: a British settlement in the Straits of Malacca. From the courts of Siam and Kedah, to capture by the French and Dutch, from the salons of Calcutta through gun-running in the Straits, Pearl takes the reader on an astonishing journey culminating in the attainment of a dream on the island of Penang.

Full Product Details

9781915310002

Table of Contents

Reviews

At last, a novel which engages a crucial and fascinating period of British merchant imperialism and Southeast Asian history.--Philip Bowring, Author of Empire of the Winds Deeply researched and beautifully written, Dragon convincingly evokes the East of the period.--Nigel Barley, Author Dragon is a rare example of writing about the important country trade that existed alongside of the East India Company and, since 1661, increasingly independent of it. Rose Gan's well-crafted narrative has clearly been written following extensive historical research.--Sue Paul, author of Jeopardy of Every Wind: the biography of Captain Thomas Bowrey Dragon is a richly imagined yet historically faithful account of the early career of Francis Light, the founder of modern Penang. A marvelous cast of characters populates this well-researched work of historical fiction, with just the right blend of the real and the imaginary.--John D. Greenwood, Author of the Singapore Saga series Enthralling. Gan brings a forgotten hero back to rumbustious life.--John Keay, historian and author of The Spice Route: A History, Author of The Honourable Company Rose Gan, in this fascinating and well-researched novel, skilfully provides the reader with a colourful illustration to the early life and times of Light and those historically connected to him. The author cleverly unveils Light's rise to the rank of captain and his travels to this part of the world while meeting the people who would set the stage for his lustrous future.--Dennis De Witt, author of History of the Dutch in Malaysia Rose Gan's trilogy takes the reader on a masterfully compelling eighteenth-century birth-to-death journey alongside Francis Light. Vividly imagined scenarios interwoven with the threads of history are guaranteed to keep the reader fully engaged. Dragon, Pearl and Emporium set the benchmark for historical fiction of the region.--Marcus Langdon, Author

Author Information

British by birth, Rose Gan first arrived in in Kuala Lumpur in 1978 and has been living and working between both UK and South East Asia ever since. Married to a Malaysian, and formerly a teacher of History and Latin in UK and Malaysia, Rose was also Vice Chair for Museums of the Indonesian Heritage Society, a guide and docent in Museum National Indonesia, Jakarta, and Muzium Negara and the Textile Museum in KL. In addition to lecturing to cultural associations, Rose has been actively involved with museum publications in Malaysia and Indonesia, both as a writer and editor.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available