{"product_id":"anna-and-the-king-of-siam-the-bestselling-biography-that-inspired-the-king-and-i-a-victorian-true-story-by-margaret-landon","title":"Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe bestselling book that inspired\u003cbr\u003ethe musical play and film The King and I\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Enchanting.\u003cbr\u003e. . . The author wears her scholarship with grace, and the amazing story she\u003cbr\u003ehas to tell is recounted with humor and understanding. And what a story it is!\" —Atlantic Monthly\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnna Leonowens, a proper\u003cbr\u003eEnglishwoman, was an unlikely candidate to change the course of Siamese (Thai)\u003cbr\u003ehistory. A young widow and mother, her services were engaged in the 1860's by\u003cbr\u003eKing Mongkut of Siam to help him communicate with foreign governments and be\u003cbr\u003ethe tutor to his children and favored concubines.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStepping off the steamer from\u003cbr\u003eLondon, Anna found herself in an exotic land she could have only dreamed of: a\u003cbr\u003elush landscape of mystic faiths and curious people, and a king's palace\u003cbr\u003ebustling with royal pageantry, ancient custom, and harems. One of her pupils,\u003cbr\u003ethe young prince Chulalongkorn, was particularly influenced by Leonowens and\u003cbr\u003eher Western ideals. He learned about Abraham Lincoln and the tenets of\u003cbr\u003edemocracy from her, and years later he would become Siam's most progressive\u003cbr\u003eking. He guided the country's transformation from a feudal state to a modern\u003cbr\u003esociety, abolishing slavery and making many other radical reforms.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWeaving\u003cbr\u003emeticulously researched facts with richly imagined scenes, Margret Landon\u003cbr\u003erecreates an unforgettable portrait of life in a forgotten exotic land. Originally\u003cbr\u003epublished in 1944, and translated into dozens of languages, Anna\u003cbr\u003eand the King of Siam continues to delight and enchant readers\u003cbr\u003earound the world.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43677584457802,"sku":"6742z","price":9.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/6742z.jpg?v=1780894009","url":"https:\/\/www.bookexpress.nz\/products\/anna-and-the-king-of-siam-the-bestselling-biography-that-inspired-the-king-and-i-a-victorian-true-story-by-margaret-landon","provider":"Book Express","version":"1.0","type":"link"}