The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
Leslie Hamlyn and her husband Robert have lived in Penang in Malaya (now Malaysia) for 15 years, the entire time they have been married. But now Robert is ill and wants to move to South Africa for the drier climate. Before they leave Malaya, their old friend Somerset Maugham (Willie, to his friends) and his secretary Gerald came to stay with them for a few weeks. Willie is hiding the fact that he has made poor investments and is in desperate financial straits and needs to publish a new book as soon as possible, while Leslie and Gerald are hiding their own secrets.
I read the author's previous book, The Garden of Evening Mists, and loved it. To my surprise, I loved this one just as much. It was exactly what I was in the mood for. Set between the two world wars, he story was inspired by Maugham's short story The Letter, which he later turned into a successful play that was adapted for film. Themes include race, gender, sexuality, colonialism, love, betrayal, and redemption. Recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction.
W. Somerset Maugham
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