Book Group 1, November 2021 Review

Dragon - Rose Gan

Our Friday book group continued on Zoom and was thrilled to have our first session with an author.  Rose Gan, author of November’s book DRAGON, joined us for a lively discussion from speaking about powerful women, colonialism, and what it’s like to get published.  It was an absolute pleasure to have her join us and share an additional insight.  We all agreed reading a book set right here in Malaysia was a great treat as well.

Dragon is part 1 of a 3-part series about Francis Light, the 18th-century trailblazer in the Malay Archipelago.  The book is a fictional piece with much historical accuracy recounting Francis’ early days from growing up an illegitimate child in Suffolk, England to venturing off to Southeast Asia through shipwrecks, sea battles, pirate raids, and tropical diseases.  Along the way we encounter historical figures from the courts of Siam, Kedah, the East India Company, and our most talked about women pioneers running things their way at the time.  Woven into the novel are stories shaping Francis’ life as a ladies’ man, adventurer, and kind hearted soul that fills out the book and makes for a most enjoyable read.

Meredith Tomkovitch