Title: The Jewel Trader of Pegu
Author: Jeffrey Hantover
Pages: 227
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Copyright: 2009
Format: Paperback
Rating:

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I’ve had this work of historical fiction on my TBR stack for over a year. I shouldn’t have waited so long to get to it.

The synopsis:

Abraham, a twenty-eight-year old widower, travels from the Venetian Ghetto to the Burmese kingdom of Pegu, to buy jewels for his uncle in the last years of the 16th century. A quiet, withdrawn man, Abraham, far from kin and community, finds the ways of the Peguans and their Buddhist beliefs strange and baffling. He must confront his own taken-for-granted world as he struggles with a series of moral choices which test his very sense of self. Taking residence in a house previously occupied by another Italian trader, he soon learns the Italian indulged in a native sexual ritual involving young brides – a duty Abraham, too, is expected to fulfill if he wants his family’s business to succeed. Abraham is repulsed and refuses, but the success of his venture forces him to reluctantly reconsider. An accidental death leaves Mya, a young bride from the village, at his doorstep. An act of generosity leads to a love, and both are reborn through their love as the empire crumbles around them. Surrounded by danger, torn between the demands of his God and the yearnings of his heart, he must make a fateful choice that will change his life forever and affect all he holds dear.

This is a solid work of historical fiction. Hantover is clearly a talented writer. The story is very poetic and romantic – without being cheesy or erotic. Historical fiction can often come across as a research project with a few characters thrown in. Here, though, the historical elements are fascinating and mixed into the story with grace. I especially enjoyed learning about a culture that I knew nothing about. For example, I learned that the women of Pegu, afraid of looking like dogs, filed down their incisors and blackened their teeth. That is a great detail that added appropriate depth to the story.

I love the epistolary form – letters written by Abraham, mixed in with the thoughts of Mya. I was drawn into this story of love and adventure, almost without my knowing it. Abraham is a lovable, flawed character. His pontifications on religion and morals were insightful without being preachy. In fact, this book caused me to reflect on the bases of my own values and religious beliefs. Rarely does a work of fiction affect me in such a manner. I would highly recommend The Jewel Trader of Pegu.

Check out Jeffrey Hantover’s website for an excerpt and a reader’s guide.

The Jewel Trader of Pegu, by Jeffrey Hantover

Other Reviews:
Booking Mama
Diary of an Eccentric
Fresh Ink Books
HistoricalNovels.info
Linus’s Blanket

Buy The Jewel Trader of Pegu at Powell’s Books or Amazon.com.

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Title: The Kitchen House
Author: Kathleen Grissom
Pages: 365
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Copyright: 2010
Format: Paperback
Rating:

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When Kathleen Grissom contacted me about reading her recently published first novel, The Kitchen House, I was hesitant because I was expecting a baby any day. However, I read though an excerpt online and noted that The Kitchen House had been selected as a National Blue Ribbon Choice of the Book of the Month Club and was hooked. This turned out to be exactly the book I needed to get me back into the reading groove.

Orphaned on the ship from Ireland to America, seven-year-old Lavinia becomes an indentured servant to Captain James Pyke and is sent to work in the kitchen house with some of the tobacco plantation’s slaves. Despite her white skin, Lavinia is adopted into the slaves’ makeshift family that includes Belle, the Captain’s illegitimate daughter, and Mama Mae, the matron of the family and highest ranking female servant. Lavinia learns to be a good worker and observes with some confusion the disorder and dysfunction of the Captain’s family. As Lavinia grows into a young woman, the color of her skin and her loyalty to her adopted slave family forces her to make difficult decisions that cause turmoil and tragedy.

I really enjoyed this book. The subject matter wasn’t always pleasant, but I was drawn into the setting and the characters. I only had time to read this book at night, but I found myself thinking about it during the day and being excited to get back to it at night. The writing flowed so seamlessly that I can’t believe that this is Grissom’s first novel. And, a huge accomplishment in historical fiction, the historical details were perfect in their placement. Grissom used historical details only to add realism to the plot and not just to add in interesting tidbits she learned during her research. Also, Grissom gives this slave story enough of a twist to make it unlike any other book I’ve read on the subject.

Perhaps the strongest element of this book besides the writing was the characters. Lavinia and Belle were great narrators. The bulk of the story is told from Lavinia’s point of view, but she is unreliable to the extent that she is very naive and childlike. Belle’s brief contributions simply added an adult (and slave) perspective without reservations. The rest of the characters were interesting, well drawn, and realistic. I particularly enjoyed Mama Mae, Papa George, and the rest of the slave family.

My only major complaint about this book is that there are about 300 pages of set up for about 50 pages of climax and resolution. I was so involved in the characters that it was very disappointing to have the action begin and add so abruptly. Despite the pacing issues, this is a tremendous book that I highly recommend.

The Kitchen House, by Kathleen Grissom

Other Reviews:
Confessions of a Bibliophile
The Literate Housewife Review
A Reader’s Respite

Buy The Kitchen House at Powell’s Books or Amazon.com.

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