Bruce Gardiner

Gripping tale of excess and redemption

Revisado: 12-25-23

This historical novel is set in the ancient Kingdom of Lanna, northern Thailand, around 1875. The story opens with the arrival of Cheek (the doctor) and McGilvary (the missionary) in Chiang Mai, both coming with notions of "helping" the locals with their respective expertise and "good news". We follow Dr Cheek as he is introduced to the pleasures and intricacies of life enjoyed by the local inhabitants, from royalty to laborers. As Cheek develops a personal and business relationship with the governor, his interests expand beyond health care and head more in the direction of sensual pleasure and amassing a fortune in the teak trade. It's an interesting journey, through which the author weaves in many details of the history and culture of the place and the time. The teak boom was just beginning and this unique and valuable wood was commanding high prices in Europe and America. I particularly enjoyed learning details of the teak harvesting industry, from selecting the trees to rafting the logs down to Bangkok for export. This was the era of foreign carpet-baggers exploiting the rich natural resources of the "Third World". But Dr Cheek's personal journey is the real focus of the narrative and we follow him from the flesh pots and opium dreams through financial ruin and the eventual redemption of a monk's robe.
Highly recommended!

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