Tanamera

This one is a good example of although having the plot be about the people, it always circles back to the home in which generations have lived. You do not see this often with books, and Barber did a really great job of doing so.

Tanamera is on my personal favorites list where I would definitely read it again. It follows the Dexter family as they make their home and living in Singapore, becoming prominent in the rubber industry during the World Wars era. The bulk of the read is about the young 20-something Johnnie who falls in love with Julia whose family is also wealthy in their own right, but they are Chinese.

It is so wonderful to see someone grow into a person of good and not evil even when raised in a family where country clubs and personal drivers are included. It is nice to see Johnnie as a human being driven by love and you see him make immature mistakes, but finds a way to be with Julie. Johnnie is rash and does not think long game; some people are like that. It bothered me that he would force his hand when it comes to her family; it seems a little white privileged to me. I feel like I need to go back and reread it so that the understanding is straight.

If interested, you will be able to find Tanamera here.

10/10