This 1870 memoir, which was the basis for the musical The King and I, vividly recounts the experiences of Anna Harriette Leonowens, who served as a governess for the sixty-plus children of King Mongkut of Siam and as translator and scribe for the King himself. Bright, young, and energetic, Leonowens was well-suited to her role, and her writings convey a heartfelt interest in the lives, legends, and languages of Siam's rich and poor.
She also tells of how she and the king often disagreed on matters domestic. After all, this was the first time King Mongkut had met a woman who dared to contradict him, and the governess found the very idea of male domination intolerable. Her exchanges with His Majesty on topics like grammar, charity, slavery, politics, and religion add much to her diary's rich, cross-cultural spirit and its East-meets-West appeal.
In 1862, Anna Leonowens moved with her youngest child to Siam to serve as governess and translator to the king and his family. Leonowens wrote an account of her adventure, the basis for the play and movie ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM, detailing arguments with the king, reflections on daily life in Siam, and insights into the religions and philosophies of those she encountered. Nadia May makes a valiant effort at infusing feeling into the work, but her superb performance doesn't transcend Leonowens's burdensome detail. Recounts of and interactions with the royal family are delightful, but Leonowens often falls into judging and belittling her hosts rather than reporting. May keeps her tone light and humorous at these times, but it isn't enough to remove the shock one feels at such politically incorrect viewpoints as seen from our modern vantage point. H.L.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
