Agnes Hussein, descendant of the last sultan of Singapore and the last surviving member of her immediate family, has grown up among her eccentric relatives in the crumbling Kampong Glam palace, a once-opulent relic given to her family in exchange for handing over Singapore to the British.
Now Agnes is seventeen and her family has fallen into genteel poverty, surviving on her grandfather’s pension and the meager income they receive from a varied cast of boarders. As outside forces conspire to steal the palace out from under them, Agnes struggles to save her family and finds bravery, love, and loyalty in the most unexpected places. The Moonlight Palace is a coming-of-age tale rich with historical detail and unforgettable characters set against the backdrop of dazzling 1920s Singapore.
From the author of The Laws of Gravity, Home Repair, and other works of fiction non-fiction comes a historical coming-of-age novel set in Singapore during the 1920s. The Moonlight Palace by Liz Rosenberg is the story of Agnes Hussein, a seventeen-year-old, who lives with her grandfather's youngest brother in a crumbling palace which stands as a symbol of their rich heritage. Uncle Chachi, as he is fondly called, is the last surviving male heir in the family. Her grandparents are deceased, and her parents and older brother along with several other family members died in the flu pandemic of 1918.
The Kampong Glam Palace in which Agnes lives was a big one with many rooms. Some of the rooms were occupied by relatives who do not pay anything but there were several other boarders who pay to stay in the rooms. It forms an essential part of income for the maintenance and upkeep of the palace. These paying guests come and go, none staying for too long but when three young men stayed in the palace one November, and as unscrupulous people conspire to take away the palace, it will forever change the lives of Agnes and her family.
Author and poet Liz Rosenberg crafted an amazing story with a young but strong female protagonist whom you'd instantly admire and empathize with. There is a tinge of sadness in the story as Agnes' situation is far removed from the good old times when her ancestors were the Sultans. Yet, the novel sparkles with optimism, and Agnes has qualities that you can only admire though she is still very young. Meticulously researched, the story is well-written and there are unexpected twists and turns which will keep you absorbed to the very end. If you enjoyed Liz's earlier book The Laws of Gravity, this will take you to a higher plane.
The Kampong Glam Palace in which Agnes lives was a big one with many rooms. Some of the rooms were occupied by relatives who do not pay anything but there were several other boarders who pay to stay in the rooms. It forms an essential part of income for the maintenance and upkeep of the palace. These paying guests come and go, none staying for too long but when three young men stayed in the palace one November, and as unscrupulous people conspire to take away the palace, it will forever change the lives of Agnes and her family.
Author and poet Liz Rosenberg crafted an amazing story with a young but strong female protagonist whom you'd instantly admire and empathize with. There is a tinge of sadness in the story as Agnes' situation is far removed from the good old times when her ancestors were the Sultans. Yet, the novel sparkles with optimism, and Agnes has qualities that you can only admire though she is still very young. Meticulously researched, the story is well-written and there are unexpected twists and turns which will keep you absorbed to the very end. If you enjoyed Liz's earlier book The Laws of Gravity, this will take you to a higher plane.
I must admit that my choice of this month's Kindle First novel was a difficult one. I chose The Moonlight Palace simply because of its exotic locale and time period, Singapore in the 1920s. However the author, Liz Rosenberg, immediately drew me into her tale about a plucky orphan who with her extended family lives in their ancestral home, a once great palace now in shambles. Rosenberg creates such wonderful characters and such an evocative setting that even its rather slim plot and too tidy ending can be forgiven.
I found Agnes Hussein, the teenaged heroine, especially well drawn. As narrator, Agnes confides her story with disarming direct address and droll humor. Her eccentric family, equal parts loving and exasperating, also charm. Yet what I liked the most about The Moonlight Palace is its finely crafted setting. The author presents it with exquisite imagery. We see Singapore in monsoon season when brightly colored umbrellas open up like flowers. We hear the lusty mating call of a yellow-vented bulbul. We smell the creamy blossoms of the tembusu tree. We taste grandmother Nei-Nei Down's chicken rice. And although The Moonlight Palace is more slice-of-life parable than fully developed novel, I nevertheless wholeheartedly recommend it to those looking for a sweet and short read.
I found Agnes Hussein, the teenaged heroine, especially well drawn. As narrator, Agnes confides her story with disarming direct address and droll humor. Her eccentric family, equal parts loving and exasperating, also charm. Yet what I liked the most about The Moonlight Palace is its finely crafted setting. The author presents it with exquisite imagery. We see Singapore in monsoon season when brightly colored umbrellas open up like flowers. We hear the lusty mating call of a yellow-vented bulbul. We smell the creamy blossoms of the tembusu tree. We taste grandmother Nei-Nei Down's chicken rice. And although The Moonlight Palace is more slice-of-life parable than fully developed novel, I nevertheless wholeheartedly recommend it to those looking for a sweet and short read.
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