The Bondmaid by Catherine Lim

I bought this book because I read a very bad review of it, and the review was so patronizing and agitated (and written by a man) that I thought if she has provoked a response like that it must be good! Then when I got the book it promised to be a "reverse Wuthering Heights love story", which actually confused me for awhile when I began reading the book - I kept trying to remember what happened in Wuthering Heights and if this book is the reverse, who is Heathcliff? Was also concerned about who was going to be Catherine and come back as a ghost tapping on windows.

What had upset the previous reviewer was precisely what attracted me - the elements of mysticism and goddess worship. This book was banned in Singapore and Catherine Lim self- published it in the U.S. I had to keep reminding myself that this story was set in Singapore in the 1950's - it wasn't some ancient tale of slavery but a contemporary one. What an upsetting thought!

Han, the young child sold into slavery manages through the years to keep her pride and dignity by focussing all her energy on loving the young master of the household. The power and intensity of her love is very dramatic and of course subject to all sorts of turmoil. The object of her affections is not as deserving or as well drawn, since we see virtually everything through the penetrating gaze of the bondmaid but that too carries us through the story even more emotionally. You just keep worrying "oh god, I hope he doesn't disappoint her!" as she goes through more trials and tribulations.

I won't give that away, but I will say that the ending isn't like Wuthering Heights but I did shed a tear or two - were they of joy or sorrow? Hmmm . . . or maybe both?

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