The English Governess at the Siamese Court

I very much enjoyed this collection of memoir, observation, history, and travel journal from the pen of a late 1800s Englishwoman plucky enough to take a position as governess and translator in the court of Siam. There is some level of disjoint if the "chapters" are viewed as a sequence; however, if......more

I read this book a few years ago. I enjoyed it, though i had some reservations about it's accuracy. It is a well written memoir, but such work is only as accurate as the perception of the individual writing it. I talked with a friend from Thailand (formerly Siam), and she told me about the controver......more

This book does not read like a movie because it isn’t a movie, and it doesn’t read like a novel because it isn’t a novel. It doesn’t even read like your typical memoirs because Anna Leonowens does not portray herself as the central character throughout her story. Rather, she is our narrator through......more

Leonowens, Anna. The English Governess at the Siam Court. Tom Doherty and Associates. New York. 1999. Ana Leonowens’ autobiographical book The English Governess and the Siamese Court, reveals her experience during her six years as governess to the King of Siam’s family in the Royal Palace at Bangko......more

A long foreword (in my edition) goes through the twisting story of the book's release, reception, legacy and controversy. After reading that, and knowing of the whole "King and I" fallout in Thailand, I expected a serious memoir. But the opening chapters read like a zany comic novel. The wackiness......more