If you thought you knew the story of Anna in The King and I, think again. As this riveting biography shows, the real life of Anna Leonowens was far more fascinating than the beloved story of the Victorian governess who went to work for the King of Siam. To write this definitive account, Susan Morgan traveled around the globe and discovered new information that has eluded researchers for years. Anna was born a poor, mixed-race army brat in India, and what followed is an extraordinary nineteenth-century story of savvy self-invention, wild adventure, and far-reaching influence. At a time when most women stayed at home, Anna Leonowens traveled all over the world, witnessed some of the most fascinating events of the Age of Empire, and became a well-known travel writer, journalist, teacher, and lecturer. She remains the one and only foreigner to have spent significant time inside the royal harem of Siam. She emigrated to the United States, crossed all of Russia on her own just before the revolution, and moved to Canada, where she publicly defended the rights of women and the working class. The book also gives an engrossing account of how and why Anna became an icon of American culture in The King and I and its many adaptations.
Susan Morgan, Distinguished Professor of English at Miami University, is the author of Place Matters: Gendered Geography in Victorian Women's Travel Writings about Southeast Asia, among other books.
Table of Contents
list of illustrationspreface acknowledgments1. Introduction: A Life of Passing 2. Ancestors: A Methodist, a Soldier, and a “Lady Not Entirely White” 3. A Company Childhood 4. Daughter of the Deccan 5. Love and Bombay, at Last 6. Metamorphosis: “A Life Sublimated above the Ordinary”7. A Teacher and a King 8. A Job in a Palace9. “The Noble and Devoted Women Whom I Learned to Know, to Esteem, and to Love”10. Settled in Bangkok 11. The Paths to Good-bye12. An American Writer 13. The Canadian Grande Dame 18614. “Shall We Dance”: Anna and U.S.–Thai Relations 207appendix one: the magnificent charter: how the british got to indiaappendix two: the women of british india select bibliographyindex
What People are Saying About This
From the Publisher
"A lively incarnation of Anna, one that gives the character of the musical and movies full humanity in historical context."—Philadelphia Inquirer
"Morgan paints a satisfying, multifaceted portrait. Engrossing retelling of an extraordinary life, correcting many popular misconceptions."—Kirkus Reviews
"This informed and entertaining biography reveals Leonowens as an intriguing and complex woman, whose interests ranged far beyond young lovers and whistling happy tunes."—Foreword
"A fascinating, scholarly work."—Library Journal
"Pick up Bombay Anna and be prepared to find an inspiring story of an incredible woman."—Feminist Review
