Book guide
The House of Doors
A literary historical novel set in 1921 Penang, where buried truths, love, and betrayal unfold under the shadow of Empire.
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About The House of Doors
It is 1921 and at Cassowary House in the Straits Settlements of Penang, Robert Hamlyn is a well-to-do lawyer and his steely wife Lesley a society hostess. Their lives are invigorated when Willie, an old friend of Robert's, comes to stay. Willie Somerset Maugham is one of the greatest writers of his day. But he is beleaguered by an unhappy marriage, ill-health and business interests that have gone badly awry. He is also struggling to write. The more Lesley's friendship with Willie grows, the more clearly she sees him as he is - a man who has no choice but to mask his true self. As Willie prepares to leave and face his demons, Lesley confides secrets of her own, revealing her connection to the case of an Englishwoman charged with murder in the Kuala Lumpur courts - a tragedy drawn from fact, and worthy of fiction.
Reading signals
- Spice
- Light
- Darkness
- Balanced
- Pacing
- Slow
Content warnings
- murder
- infidelity
- racism
- colonialism
- classism
- homophobia
- hypocrisy
- attempted rape
