Anna Harriette Leonowens

The English Governess at the Siamese Court (eBook, ePUB)

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

First published in 1870. "Being recollections of six years in the royal palace at Bangkok." According to Wikipedia: "Anna Harriette Leonowens (6 November 1831 - 19 January 1915) born Anna Harriet Emma Edwards, was an Anglo-Indian or Indian-born British travel writer, educator, and social activist. Her experiences in Siam (Thailand) were fictionalised in Margaret Landon's 1944 best-selling novel Anna and the King of Siam, as well as films and television series based on the book, most notably Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1951 hit musical The King and I. During the course of her life, Leonowens also lived in Aden, Australia, Singapore, the United States and Canada. Among other achievements, she co-founded the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design."

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Seltzer Books
• Seitenzahl: 645
• Erscheinungstermin: 1. März 2018
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781455434206
• Artikelnr.: 54095522

Autorenporträt

Anna Harriette Leonowens (1831-1915) was a British travel writer, educator, and social activist, now best known for her work, 'The English Governess at the Siamese Court' published in 1870. This account, which has significantly influenced Western perceptions of Siam (now Thailand), details her experiences while she served as the governess to the children of King Mongkut, Rama IV, from 1862 to 1867. Born in India, of mixed Indian and British descent, Leonowens had an itinerant life, with her early years marked by tragedy, including the premature death of her husband Thomas Leon Owens, leaving her a widow with two children to support. Her resourcefulness led her to the Siamese Royal Court, where her formidable intellect and spirit soon earned her a place in history. It was her memoirs, notable for their literary flair and insightful commentary on Siamese court life, which also secured her a somewhat controversial literary legacy. Scholars have debated the authenticity of Leonowens' portrayal of Siamese culture and the historical accuracy of her narrative. Nonetheless, her work is significant for its contribution to the genre of travel literature and for its unique feminist perspective during the Victorian era. It also inspired the famous Margaret Landon novel, 'Anna and the King of Siam' (1944), and its various adaptations, including the well-loved musical 'The King and I'. Leonowens' stories, whether apocryphal or factual, continue to captivate audiences, offering a glimpse into the life of a remarkably adventurous woman who transversed cultural boundaries at a time when such actions were rare for women.