I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
My Review: I’d like to think that I am pretty open-minded when it comes to reading. I read a wide variety of books in a wide variety of genres, and even those genres that I’ve declared aren’t my favorite, I will often find books in them that I enjoy. I try not to discriminate just on the genre, although, like anyone, I have my preferences. I especially enjoy a book if I feel a connection to it. Admittedly, I read a lot of books that I have no known connection to and have liked them quite a lot, but finding a book that I have a connection to is also very enjoyable and rewarding.
I chose this book because my Granny’s parents owned a
rubber and tea plantation in Malaya (now it is Malaysia). Although she is
Scottish, and they had a family home in Scotland, she was actually born in
Malaya. (My Granny is the coolest.) This ancestral home was later confiscated
by the Chinese when they invaded, and it has now been made into a museum (that
I would love to see someday). The whole point of this story is that I chose
this book because it was about tapping rubber. Granted, this book takes place
in South America, but I knew that the actual circumstances of braving the jungle
and tapping the rubber might have had some similarities, especially because the era is the same. Truth be told, I
actually don’t know. However, my interest was piqued when I read the
description.
This is one of those books that is able to transport the
reader easily into the times and lives of the characters. The writing is such
that it reflects the speech and thoughts of the characters, and although this
made for some colorful and somewhat grammatically incorrect writing, I enjoyed
it and thought that it made the book feel authentic. The story itself was
just…wow. I mean, every time I read good historical fiction I learn something
new—and this is one of the reasons I love it. I would have never been able to
understand what it would have been like to be rubber tapping in the jungle (and
obviously there are lots of similar experiences when one might be extracting
other jungle resources) had I read this book. It was well-researched and had
that air of truth around it that only comes when truth is stranger than
fiction. Now I’m not saying that I have never read anything like this, because
indeed I have actually read one of the books on her resources list (The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s
Darkest Journey by Candice Millard), and that one was shocking as well.
It’s just so hard to imagine what other peoples’ lives are like until you
experience them, and most of them are experienced through books. I wholeheartedly
believe that those who read and those who are exposed to other worlds and other
lives through reading are by far the most sympathetic and understanding human
beings around. How could they not be? Even if you don’t agree with what you
have read, the exposure alone is huge.
This novel moved along at a good little clip. The story
was interesting, and the main characters were pretty well developed. The peripheral
characters were very obviously peripheral, and I think a lot more detail could
have been given to them, but since this is only the first book in the series I
think that could be upcoming. The writing and story weren’t completely tight,
but I’m chalking that up to inexperience and I think that as the series goes along
this probably won’t be an issue.
If you’re looking for an interesting historical look into
something that isn’t covered extensively (like, say, WWII) I think this is a
good book to go with. The story is good, it moves along quickly, and I think
you’ll definitely learn something.
My Rating: 3.5
Stars
For the sensitive
reader: There is language in this book, much of it is Irish slang, and there is
also some light and vague discussion of sex.
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