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A review by rntylr22
The Moonlight Palace by Liz Rosenberg
3.0
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a lovely book. I have never read a novel set in the 1920's much less Singapore. I was enchanted by the period and the exotic (if shabby) palace. I wish there had been more depth and care taken to show the reader the beauty of this time, and the mystery of Singapore.
I felt Agnes voice was strong, as a main character should be. She did come off a little young, she is supposed to be 17, going on 18 whereas I found her more in the 15-16 range. It seemed strange to me for her to speak of men and begin courting at first.
The story is beautiful and unique. Agnes' home is falling apart, the palace that is her birthright handed down from Sultan Hussein. Being a woman however, she cannot inherit the palace and the responsibility falls to her aged war hero British Grandfather. He is married to a Chinese woman, Nei-Nei who I think is the most developed character in the story. She's fierce and head strong, a true wife of royalty. Amongst them are individuals we wouldn't think go together, but they form this strange loveable group. There Bridget, Anges' Irish best friend, Mr. Kahani a blind Jewish jewellery store owner, Uncle Chachi who is exuberant with random mood swings and little Danai, a beggar girl they take in even though they can't afford help.
I found the writing style dreamy, it wasn't full of action or suspense although it does contain scenes of mystery. It focuses more on the characters than the plot. You want to know what the future holds for the Kampong Glam Palace but more time is invested in the daily lives of the characters. While this book is historical fiction, from the point of view of Agnes is was a bit more like a YA novel. I wanted more history, more Singapore.
Agnes coming of age story falls a little flat, but overall I fell in love with the Moonlight Palace. The ending was halting and a bit too much like a fairytale after all the struggling and hardship the family was able to face together but I would recommend it to others as its a novella that takes you to a new magical time and place.
This was a lovely book. I have never read a novel set in the 1920's much less Singapore. I was enchanted by the period and the exotic (if shabby) palace. I wish there had been more depth and care taken to show the reader the beauty of this time, and the mystery of Singapore.
I felt Agnes voice was strong, as a main character should be. She did come off a little young, she is supposed to be 17, going on 18 whereas I found her more in the 15-16 range. It seemed strange to me for her to speak of men and begin courting at first.
The story is beautiful and unique. Agnes' home is falling apart, the palace that is her birthright handed down from Sultan Hussein. Being a woman however, she cannot inherit the palace and the responsibility falls to her aged war hero British Grandfather. He is married to a Chinese woman, Nei-Nei who I think is the most developed character in the story. She's fierce and head strong, a true wife of royalty. Amongst them are individuals we wouldn't think go together, but they form this strange loveable group. There Bridget, Anges' Irish best friend, Mr. Kahani a blind Jewish jewellery store owner, Uncle Chachi who is exuberant with random mood swings and little Danai, a beggar girl they take in even though they can't afford help.
I found the writing style dreamy, it wasn't full of action or suspense although it does contain scenes of mystery. It focuses more on the characters than the plot. You want to know what the future holds for the Kampong Glam Palace but more time is invested in the daily lives of the characters. While this book is historical fiction, from the point of view of Agnes is was a bit more like a YA novel. I wanted more history, more Singapore.
Agnes coming of age story falls a little flat, but overall I fell in love with the Moonlight Palace. The ending was halting and a bit too much like a fairytale after all the struggling and hardship the family was able to face together but I would recommend it to others as its a novella that takes you to a new magical time and place.