This plot is original and, as the book opens, it draws you in and keeps your attention. Today so many books have plots that are, if not variations on a common theme, then formulaic enough to be categorized into specific genres. I had to consider my feelings about this book.

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. 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. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at a terrible price.Īfter 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. Rarely practiced, traditional ghost marriages are used to placate restless spirits. They want her to become a ghost bride for the family's only son, who recently died under mysterious circumstances.

But fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt family, has few prospects. And in the sleepy port town of Malacca, ghosts and superstitions abound.

Though ruled by British overlords, the Chinese of colonial Malaya still cling to ancient customs. 'One evening, my father asked me whether I would like to become a ghost bride.' 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.

The ghost bride by yangsze choo