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Reviews |
| The Brigadier's Wife by Chris Tao 2006 175 pp., softbound, 23.5 x 15.5 cm. ISBN 988-98362-7-0 $14.85 ISBN-13: 978-988-98362-7-6 |
| 3 Stars Book review by Patricia Wenk (BK Magazine; Bangkok, No. 156, Oct. 20 - 26, 2006) Taking the reader on a journey to the forgotten country of Burma, this enthralling read traces the stories of Zhang, Nilar and the people around them. Written by "an Asian insider," one can't be sure how much truth is behind the grimy stories that are swallowed by the ancient Burmese earth, never to be released again. But when Tao writes about a Chinese-born foreigner making deals with high-ranking officials of the Tatmadaw junta, it at least seems like he knows full well what he is talking about. The story unravels in numerous short episodes told from the perspectives of different people. There is colonel Aye Myint, supporter and close confidant of the brigadier, Nilar and Zhang, and Yadanar Khin, Nilar's oldest servant. Balancing emotion and rage, violence and tender feelings, this style of writing acts as an agent facilitating between female Yin and male Yang. Zhang and Nilar, both of Chinese origin, find themselves entangled in a romance that's doomed from the start-they are foreigners in Burma, and not even the brigadier's wife is accepted by her husband's subordinates. Struggling for survival, they cling to each other and in the end lose everything. The book is not as much a criticism of China's striking up deals with Burma as an intimate play about people's personal burdens and struggles, telling a tale of home and alienation, of love and betrayal. Hard to understand at times, this book will be better appreciated by those already familiar with Burma's history and current situation. But even if you don't have such knowledge, the novel is a suspenseful and inspiring work which will not easily be forgotten. [More Orchid Press Reviews] |
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