Customer Reviews

The Moon in the Mango Tree

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Family history, missions, and an exploration of marriage and identity mingle together in former lawyer Pamela Binnings Ewen's second novel, THE MOON IN THE MANGO TREE.

Ewen sets her book mostly in Siam (now modern-day Thailand) in the Roaring Twenties and bases it on her grandmother, a suffragette and aspiring, talented opera singer who gives up everything to follow her new husband Harvey Perkins to the medical mission field.

Ewen, who tells us in the author's note that she relied on letters, journals, photographs and the stories she was told as a child to craft her narrative, has an obvious passion for her subject matter, which comes through strongly in her story. Unlike some mission-based novels, Ewen shows both the best and the worst of mission work. The rigid faith and unpleasantness of some of the Presbyterian missionaries and their hellfire and damnation ranting to the people of the Nan Valley erodes Barbara's faith (which is rather unfocused and fuzzy at the beginning of the narrative). And the beauty --- and savageness --- of nature is all around her. Ewen uses it to frame some of Barbara's questions about their mission in Siam. "Is it really possible to make a difference in this wild country?" muses Barbara after a man-eating tiger is killed.

Ewen (WALK BACK THE CAT) paints a rich picture of the scenery and culture of Siam during the early part of the 20th century --- from the spirit charms and antics of a pet monkey (which turn sinister when Barbara's first daughter is born), fevers that rage through villages and visits she makes to a local Buddhist monk, to her later relationship with a Siamese princess and an encounter with the sacred royal white elephants.

But on her first sojourn in Siam, Barbara is eaten up by resentment, anger and fear, and wants nothing more than to go home. She wonders if she could have succeeded as an opera singer, and her disappointment simmers. Soon, living conditions (including torrential rains, a frightening lizard called a "tokay" hanging from the ceiling, and giant worms and snakes, both real and in her imagination) lead Barbara to a nervous breakdown, and she and Harvey go home. But Harvey's passion is to be a medical missionary, and it's not long before they are back in Siam again.

Disappointed with the way her life is turning out, on her second trip to Siam, Barbara leads the proverbial life of empty pleasure: alcohol, smoking, glittering parties and heavy flirting. She soon takes the girls and leaves Harvey to make a last-ditch effort to see if her passion for opera still holds possibilities for her. Then, an old Jesuit missionary's words bring her back to faith. Although it may sound a little too pat, Ewen does a good job making her return to faith believable and authentic. Barbara's final sacrifice lends poignancy to the novel, but what holds it together is the way Ewen portrays the consistent love between Harvey and Barbara, even as they fail to understand each other at the deepest levels.

If there's a criticism anywhere, it is that the book, at 450-plus pages, is too long and could have benefited from some intensive pruning. This would have improved the pacing as well. But these are small troubles in an engaging novel. Book clubs will find plenty of discussable topics within these pages, from missionary ethics to gender roles to marital sacrifice and commitment. Readers who enjoy lovely description and cultural detail in their inspirational novels should appreciate this glimpse into one woman's life in the 1920s.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

The Moon in the Mango Tree by Pamela Ewen Binnings is a powerful historical novel based on real events in the life of the author's grandmother. Barbara has great aspirations for her life; she's just been invited to attend a prestigious opera school in Chicago when the love of her life Harvey Perkins proposes to her. And Harvey's life for the two of them couldn't be farther away from the opera in Chicago. He has accepted a position as a missionary doctor in Siam. Barbara's parents urge her to sacrifice her dreams for her husband's, and she does so gladly with the idea that one day it will be her turn. In Siam, they aren't stationed in a big city where Barbara can make friends and act like a normal young woman. Instead they are stationed far into the deep country and surrounded by judgmental missionary women. Barbara listens to Buddhist priests and learns about other faiths, bringing even more condemnation and even attack upon her and causing a nervous breakdown. Harvey moves them to a larger city, and Barbara is caught up in a social whirlwind that quickly loses its charm and she is again lost and lonely. Binnings creates a terrific character in Barbara, one who isn't afraid to ask questions and wants more out of her life. She allows Barbara to be selfish without ever being unlikable. Binnings captures the essence of the changing times and describes the landscapes with breath-taking detail. She has done her grandmother's stories proud.

Shopping for a mother's day gift this weekend I decided to buy a book that would offer some inspiration and encouragement for my mother who is a recent cancer survivor fighting to gain her strength back. As I entered the local Barnes & Noble, a group of ladies were buzzing around a local writer, Pamela Binnings Ewen, with pictures of her grandmother and family circa 1920s and 30s. Her book "Moon in the Mango Tree" is based on a true story of her grandmother, Barbara Perkins, who, gifted with a singing career, struggles with the desire to act on her independence or stay true to the role of a dutiful wife. The eloquent prose pulls readers into the steamy jungles of Siam where Perkins must join her medical missionary husband. Torn between the love for her husband and searching for meaning and purpose in her life, Perkins travels across the Orient, to pre-war Paris and Rome. I was so consumed with the settings and tempo, I couldn't put it down and returned to the store to buy copies for my sisters. It's the prefect book for any woman who dreams of doing more with her life.

Not long after WWI ended, Barbara is forced to forget her dreams of being an opera diva when she marries Dr. Harvey Perkins, who informs his new bride that he is giving up his practice to serve as a medical missionary in Siam. He offers her a platitude that she will be able to sing once they settle in Siam. Frightened as she is a comfortable Christian and not a missionary, Babs objects to their relocation as she prefers they move to Chicago where the local opera has offered her a performing role. However, he rules as the husband and they head to Siam.

However, not long after arrival in rural Nan, Babs is unable to adjust to the abject poverty she witnesses or the conditions of their lifestyle. Harvey is appalled with his spouse's failure and irate with her weakness when she suffers a nervous breakdown. Still they return to the States for her to heal, but fanatical Harvey forces them to return to his Siam practice soonest.

THE MOON IN THE MANGO TREE is a terrific historical tale that allows the audience too look deeply at the role of women in society. Fascinatingly Harvey cares and loves his spouse, but is disappointed in her failure to adjust; her ambition and goals are irrelevant. Babs wants to adapt as she accepts that is her position in life, but resents giving up her goals and cannot cope with what she has seen in Siam. Although the description of time and place is extremely vivid enabling the reader to feel they are in America and Siam circa 1920s; that also slows down the pace of an otherwise strong early twentieth century relationship drama.

Harriet Klausner

I liked this book. It was slow to get into at first, but the story unfolded into a beautiful tale of a woman who became a wife and a mother and wondered if she made the right choices from the beginning. Was she adhering to duty of the times? Could she be the wife her mother expected her to be? Could she live up to being the wife she thought her peers expected?

Barbara questions but chooses love and duty. She grieves giving up dreams and loses her confidence from marital miscommunications as the result of speaking in different love languages. She made the discovery that dreams can be fufilled, only sometimes differently than one may have planned. She could have it all, just not all at the same time.

The setting in Siam and other places she finds herself along the way are descriptive in a way that makes them thier own characters.

The Moon in the Mango Tree is a lovely story of the choices women make and the ultimate happiness acheived in Harvey and Bab's life long marriage.

Throughly interesting read, with vivid characters, scenes, and a good job delving into the characters. I really liked this book, and it really takes you to another world!

This novel is a fictionalized account of the author's grandmother's life in the 1920's in Philly, Bangcock and rural Siam, and Italy.

She tells the story as it probably was, not colored in a way to beatify her grandmother. The details are rich, and anyone who enjoys travel writing will enjoy this fictional account of all of these places.

It's long, and while the story isn't action-packed, it doesn't drag either.

What a refreshing addition in the world of Christian Fiction. This author's ability to create realistic characters who display such real emotion is moving. As someone who typically avoids Women's Christian fiction for all of the obvious cliches, I absolutely love this author and am thankful to have stumbled upon her. I cannot wait until the release of her next novel. I hope it is available for instant download on my kindle!

I really enjoyed this tale and found it difficult to put down. The writing is excellent and the setting seems realistic. I appreciated the "real" quality of the heroine's faith and the struggle she went through.

The Moon in the Mango Tree is one of those books I wanted to hurry back to read and was disappointed when there were only a few pages left. I was completely involved in Mrs. Ewen's grandmother's life, the choices she had to make during her life, and the anguish she went through in making them.

Because I am 70 yrs. old, I understood the "rules" by which she was supposed to live. Today's women might not understand the pressure imposed on young women prior to the '60s.

What does one do when she has to choose between the two loves of her life?