The Moon in the Mango Tree (Paperback)

by Pamela Ewen (Author)
Key Phrases: throne hall, temple drums, Kham Noi, Barby Jeanne, Chiang Mai (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In her rich and heartfelt sophomore novel, Ewen (Walk Back the Cat) bases the story line on her grandmother's life as a missionary's wife in the 1920s in what is now Thailand. Barbara is a gifted opera protégée who gives up her dreams when she marries Harvey Perkins, a medical doctor bound for Siam. Feeling stifled and afraid, she loses her comfortable Christian faith amid the rigid fundamentalism of the poverty-stricken mission in rural Nan. The couple returns home after Barbara has a nervous breakdown, but Harvey's zeal for his work soon lands them in Siam again. The love between the two is endearing, and Ewen skillfully portrays Harvey's inability to understand his wife's deepest needs and her inability to understand what drives him. Ewen's prose is laudably rich in specific and colorful detail, which becomes a problem when it slows down the pacing. Judicious cutting would have improved this overlong narrative. Barbara's questions of faith constitute the core of the book, as she struggles to define what makes up a meaningful life. Some readers will be disappointed by her final choice, while others will cheer at the ending. Ewen is a talented writer, and this is a strong addition to Christian fiction. (May)
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Product Description

Set in Siam and Europe during the 1920s, a glittering decade of change, The Moon in the Mango Tree is based upon the true story of Barbara Bond, a beautiful young opera singer from Philadelphia who is forced to choose between her fierce desire for independence—a desire to create something of her own to give purpose and meaning to her life—and a deep abiding love for her faithful missionary husband whose work creates a gap between them.

 

But when you choose between two things you love, must one be lost forever?

 

Endorsements

 

“Written in gorgeous prose, Pamela Binnings Ewen’s remarkable novel enthralled me like no other has for a very long time. Set in exotic Siam and pre-war Europe, this story of a young woman seeking the truth of herself captured my heart.”

—Bev Marshall, author of Walking Through Shadows and Right as Rain

 

“The Moon in the Mango Tree is an old-fashioned—I mean that in the best sense—tale of love, adventure, faith, and the clash of desire and duty. The writing is wonderful, the story compelling.”

—Bret Lott, author of Jewel (an Oprah's Book Club pick), editor of The Southern Review

 

“Lush with the detail of tropical jungles and the richness of the palaces of Siam, author Pamela Binnings Ewen takes us on a journey we hope will never end. Truly a beautifully crafted story told with music that sings still in my ears.”
—Jane Kirkpatrick, author of A Mending at the Edge

 

“Absolutely wonderful!  I couldn't put it down. I picked up The Moon in the Mango Tree with some trepidation as it wasn't the type of book I usually read.  But I was immediately drawn into the story and into the life of the novel's main character, Babs. Beautifully written, authentically told, Pamela Binnings Ewen has created a compelling story that hits all the right notes.”
—Erica Spindler, New York Times bestselling author of Last Known Victim and See Jane Die

 

"Ewen is a talented writer, and this is a strong addition to Christian fiction."
—Publishers Weekly

"You will have to read this one to see just how far one sometimes has to go to discover what it really is that they want in life, what will make them feel complete. A MUST READ!"
—Beyond Her Book (a Publishers Weekly blog)

"An excellent book."
—aRomanceReview.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: B&H Fiction; 1st Edition/1st Printing edition (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805447334
• ISBN-13: 978-0805447330
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #63,808 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful saga of a reluctant missionary doctor's wife living in Siam, based on a true story, July 14, 2008

By	FaithfulReader.com (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

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

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prefect gift for that special lady in your life, May 4, 2008

By	Deborah C. Burst (Mandeville, Louisiana) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars strong early twentieth century relationship drama, April 30, 2008

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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