Yangsze Choo

A startlingly original voice makes her literary debut with this wondrous coming-of-age story infused with Chinese folklore, romantic intrigue, adventure, and fascinating, dreamlike twists. 'One evening, my father asked me whether I would like to become a ghost bride...' Though ruled by British overlords, the Chinese of colonial Malaya still cling to ancient customs. And in the sleepy port town of Malacca, ghosts and superstitions abound. Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt family, has few prospects. But fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. They want her to become a ghost bride for the family's only son, who recently died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, traditional ghost marriages are used to placate restless spirits. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at a terrible price. After an ominous visit to the opulent Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lims' handsome new heir, Tian Bai. Night after night, she is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits, and monstrous bureaucracy—including the mysterious Er Lang, a charming but unpredictable guardian spirit. Li Lan must uncover the Lim family's darkest secrets—and the truth about her own family—before she is trapped in this ghostly world forever.

A sweeping historical novel about a dancehall girl and an orphan boy whose fates entangle over an old Chinese superstition about men who turn into tigers. When 11-year-old Ren's master dies, he makes one last request of his Chinese houseboy: that Ren find his severed finger, lost years ago in an accident, and reunite it with his body. Ren has 49 days, or else his master's soul will roam the earth, unable to rest in peace. Ji Lin always wanted to be a doctor, but as a girl in 1930s Malaysia, apprentice dressmaker is a more suitable occupation. Secretly, though, Ji Lin also moonlights as a dancehall girl to help pay off her beloved mother's Mahjong debts. One night, Ji Lin's dance partner leaves her with a gruesome souvenir: a severed finger. Convinced the finger is bad luck, Ji Lin enlists the help of her erstwhile stepbrother to return it to its rightful owner. As the 49 days tick down, and a prowling tiger wreaks havoc on the town, Ji Lin and Ren's lives intertwine in ways they could never have imagined. Propulsive and lushly written, The Night Tiger explores colonialism and independence, ancient superstition and modern ambition, sibling rivalry and first love. Braided through with Chinese folklore and a tantalizing mystery, this novel is a page-turner of the highest order. Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick, Amazon Spotlight Pick for Best Book of the Month, NYTimes and Publisher's Weekly Bestseller. Starred Kirkus, Booklist, and Publisher's Weekly reviews.

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Some people think foxes are similar to ghosts because we go around collecting qi, or life force, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking . . . Manchuria, 1908. A young woman is found frozen in the snow. Her death is clouded by rumors of foxes involved, which are believed to lure people by transforming themselves into beautiful women and men. Bao, a detective with a reputation for sniffing out the truth, is hired to uncover the dead woman’s identity. Since childhood, Bao has been intrigued by the fox gods, yet they’ve remained tantalizingly out of reach. Until, perhaps, now. Meanwhile, a family that owns a famous Chinese medicine shop can cure ailments, but not the curse that afflicts them―their eldest sons die before their twenty-fourth birthdays. Now the only grandson of the family is twenty-three. When a mysterious woman enters their household, their luck seems to change. Or does it? Is their new servant a simple young woman from the north or a fox spirit bent on her own revenge? New York Times bestselling author Yangsze Choo brilliantly explores a world of mortals and spirits, humans and beasts, and their dazzling intersection. The Fox Wife is a stunning novel about a winter full of mysterious deaths, a mother seeking revenge, and old folktales that may very well be true.

"Certa noite, meu pai me perguntou se eu gostaria de me tornar uma noiva fantasma..." 1893. Li Lan é uma jovem que recebeu educação e cultura, mas que vive sem grandes perspectivas depois da falência de seus pais. Até surgir uma proposta capaz de mudar sua vida para sempre: casar-se com o herdeiro de uma família rica e poderosa. Há apenas um detalhe: seu noivo está morto. A Noiva Fantasma é o surpreendente romance de estreia de Yangsze Choo, a escritora de ascendência oriental que está encantando fãs por todo o mundo. Por mais fantásticas que pareçam, as noivas fantasmas ainda resistem até hoje em parte da cultura asiática. A prática, que chegou a ser banida por Mao Tsé-Tung durante a Revolução Cultural, foi muito frequente na China e na Malaia (hoje Malásia) no final do século XIX. O casamento era usado para tranquilizar um espírito inquieto, e garantir um lar e estabilidade para as mulheres que diziam "sim" a maridos já falecidos. É claro que elas tinham um preço alto a pagar, e com Li Lan não seria diferente. Evocando obras como Neverwhere, de Neil Gaiman, A Noiva Fantasma é uma história impressionante sobre o amor sobrenatural e sobre o amadurecimento, escrita por uma extraordinária nova voz da ficção contemporânea. Eleito o Livro da Semana pela Oprah.com, entrou em diversas listas de melhores livros do ano, como Indie Next List's Pick, Glamour Magazine Beach Read, The Bookseller Editor's Pick e Library Journal Barbara's Pick.

Malesia, 1893. È una serata afosa e la giovane Li Lan siede nello studio del padre nel tentativo di rallegrarlo. Spirali di fumo si innalzano lente dalla pipa da oppio dell'uomo che, seduto nella sua poltrona di vimini, si lascia andare al vizio che li ha condannati alla bancarotta. I Pan erano una famiglia benestante della ricca città portuale di Malacca, ma da quando il vaiolo si è portato via la madre e ha lasciato sfigurato il padre, Li Lan sa di avere poche prospettive per il futuro. Improvvisamente suo padre, risvegliatosi dal torpore, le fa una strana richiesta. La ricca e potente casata Lim l'ha scelta come sposa per il loro primogenito, Lim Tian Ching, morto in circostanze misteriose. Si tratterebbe dunque di un "matrimonio fantasma", di quelli che si celebravano quando una famiglia desiderava placare uno spirito inquieto. L'unione potrebbe garantire una casa e una posizione di privilegio a Li Lan per il resto della vita, ma il prezzo da pagare sarebbe terribile. Lei sa che da questa scelta dipende il futuro della sua famiglia, eppure nel profondo del cuore sente che non deve accettare. Dopo una semplice visita di cortesia nella nobile dimora dei Lim, Li Lan comincia a essere perseguitata nel sonno dallo spirito del promesso sposo. Notte dopo notte viene trascinata contro la sua volontà nel paese delle ombre, un mondo parallelo fatto di città fantasma e demoni assetati di vendetta, schiacciato da una mostruosa e ineluttabile burocrazia. È qui che il ricco e borioso Lim Tian Ching la aspetta e non intende lasciarla andare. Eppure è solo qui che Li Lan può liberarsi dal maleficio: deve scoprire i segreti più oscuri della famiglia Lim, ma anche di suo padre. E deve farlo in fretta, prima di rimanere intrappolata nell'Oltretomba per sempre...

A sweeping historical novel about a dancehall girl and an orphan boy whose fates entangle over an old Chinese superstition about men who turn into tigers. When 11-year-old Ren's master dies, he makes one last request of his Chinese houseboy: that Ren find his severed finger, lost years ago in an accident, and reunite it with his body. Ren has 49 days, or else his master's soul will roam the earth, unable to rest in peace. Ji Lin always wanted to be a doctor, but as a girl in 1930s Malaysia, apprentice dressmaker is a more suitable occupation. Secretly, though, Ji Lin also moonlights as a dancehall girl to help pay off her beloved mother's Mahjong debts. One night, Ji Lin's dance partner leaves her with a gruesome souvenir: a severed finger. Convinced the finger is bad luck, Ji Lin enlists the help of her erstwhile stepbrother to return it to its rightful owner. As the 49 days tick down, and a prowling tiger wreaks havoc on the town, Ji Lin and Ren's lives intertwine in ways they could never have imagined. Propulsive and lushly written, The Night Tiger explores colonialism and independence, ancient superstition and modern ambition, sibling rivalry and first love. Braided through with Chinese folklore and a tantalizing mystery, this novel is a page-turner of the highest order. Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick, Amazon Spotlight Pick for Best Book of the Month, NYTimes and Publisher's Weekly Bestseller. Starred Kirkus, Booklist, and Publisher's Weekly reviews.

Pewnego wieczoru ojciec zapytał mnie, czy chciałabym zostać żoną ducha. Li Lan pochodzi ze zubożałej rodziny i nie ma większych szans na znalezienie męża. Dostaje jednak propozycję, która może odmienić jej los. Ma poślubić dziedzica bogatego rodu Lim. Jest tylko jeden problem – narzeczony nie żyje. Zgodnie ze starą chińską tradycją duch zmarłego kawalera nie zazna spokoju, jeśli nie znajdzie narzeczonej wśród żywych. Niespodziewanie w spokojne życie Li Lan wkradają się nadprzyrodzone siły, okrutne i niebezpieczne. Dziewczynie udaje się wejść do świata duchów, równoległej rzeczywistości zamieszkiwanej przez żądne zemsty upiory. Li Lan przemierza Równiny Umarłych, aby odkryć najmroczniejsze sekrety rodziny swojego narzeczonego. W podróży towarzyszy jej tajemniczy demon Er Lang, który musi zapobiec rebelii w zaświatach, gdyż ta mogłaby unicestwić także świat żywych. Czy Li Lan zdoła uniknąć tragicznego losu żony ducha? Jak poradzi sobie w pełnej niebezpieczeństw krainie śmierci? Czy kiedy wróci z zaświatów, będzie wciąż tą samą, spragnioną miłości dziewczyną? The Ghost Bride to porywająca powieść zainspirowana chińskimi tradycjami i wierzeniami. Yangsze Choo zaprasza czytelników w barwny świat pełen namiętności, intryg i duchów.