Wishlist Wednesday

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Wishlist WednesdayIn the famous words of Snow White, “I’m wishing (I’m wishing) for the one I love, to find me (to find me) today.” In this case (actually in most cases) the one that I love is a book.

I came about Wishlist Wednesday hosted by the ever so lovely Pen to Paper. (Please check out their blog, it’s awesome).

Wishlist Wednesday is a meme that allows you to turn the spotlight on a few books that have been sitting on your get-to-eventually list for a while. Books that you dream of claiming their rightful spots on your bookshelf.

This week while browsing on the wonderful site Goodreads, I came across The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo.

16248223Though 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, a traditional ghost marriage is used to placate a restless spirit. 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 Lim’s 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.

So I got to admit, the cover kind of hooked me from the get go, but I was determined not to make any rash decisions based on cover alone so I read the blurb…and knew at once that I had to add this novel to my wish list. I’m already intrigued about Eastern culture but I had never come across any references to ghost brides and so I looked it up on the handy-dandy Wikipedia website (no judgement please) and I found some interesting stuff.

First of all, ghost marriages happen for the following reasons:

  • The marriage of a couple previously engaged before a member’s death
  • Integrate an unmarried daughter into a patrilineage (because unmarried Chinese women have no descendants to worship her)
  • To ensure the family line is continued
  • To maintain that no younger brother is married before the elder brother (God forbid)

Also when a female goes through this there are a number of disadvantages:

  • Required to participate in the funeral ritual
  • Required to participate in mourning customs (like strict dress and conduct standards)
  • Take a vow of celibacy
  • And immediately take residence with his family

Here are the disadvantages of a male who goes through this:

  • NONE

Shocker.

So after gaining a bit more insight on the idea I have to say that I am most interested to read this book.I feel like it’s going to end tragically though so maybe I should ask for a box of tissue with it. Did you get that wishing fairy? One copy of The Ghost Bride and a box of tissues please and thank you.

What are you wishing for this Wednesday? Share it below and happy reading!

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20 thoughts on “Wishlist Wednesday”

  1. Wow, I’d have never found this book on my own. The Chinese culture can be fascinating! But I did myself mired in western-world novels. I’m so glad you introduced this in your wish list though because I’m going to add it to mine! The concept looks really good. Great post! 🙂

    Reply

  2. An awesome non-fiction to boost is Bound Feet, Western Dress. I liked it a lot.
    This Wednesday, I’m wishing to begin reading the book I promised someone I would – Starship Troopers. I plan on starting it tonight.

    Reply

  3. This sounds incredibly interesting! I adore all Chinese and Japanese films I’ve seen, both cultures are so fascinating because they are entirely different from ours. The stories I’ve come across also seem to be tragic (So I second the tissue boxes!) but there is something very noble and compelling about their stories.

    I own Memoirs of a Geisha and The Book of Loss with the same sort of settings which I can’t wait to read, 🙂 but none of them are actually by authors from the countries, so should be interesting.

    Reply

    • I love Memoirs of a Geisha, that book and Amy Tan novels have got me hooked on Eastern culture. There’s just SO much history there that I don’t know how someone could not be fascinated. Thanks for reading! 🙂

      Reply

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