Audiobook

English Governess at the Siamese Court

In 1862 Anna Leonowens accepted an offer made by the Siamese consul in Singapore, Tan Kim Ching, to teach the wives and children of Mongkut, king of Siam. The king wished to give his 39 wives and concubines and 82 children a modern Western education on scientific secular lines, which earlier missionaries’ wives had not provided. Leonowens sent her daughter Avis to school in England, and took her son Louis with her to Bangkok. She succeeded Dan Beach Bradley, an American missionary, as teacher to the Siamese court.

Leonowens served at court until 1867, a period of nearly six years, first as a teacher and later as language secretary for the king. Although her position carried great respect and even a degree of political influence, she did not find the terms and conditions of her employment to her satisfaction, and came to be regarded by the king himself as a rather difficult woman.

In 1868 Leonowens was on leave for her health in England and had been negotiating a return to the court on better terms when Mongkut fell ill and died. The king mentioned Leonowens and her son in his will, though they did not receive the legacy. The new monarch, fifteen-year-old Chulalongkorn, who succeeded his father, wrote Leonowens a warm letter of thanks for her services.

By 1869 Leonowens was in New York, and began contributing travel articles to a Boston journal, Atlantic Monthly, including ‘The Favorite of the Harem’, reviewed by the New York Times as ‘an Eastern love story, having apparently a strong basis of truth’. She expanded her articles into two volumes of memoirs, beginning with The English Governess at the Siamese Court (1870), which earned her immediate fame but also brought charges of sensationalism. In her writing she casts a critical eye over court life; the account is not always a flattering one, and has become the subject of controversy in Thailand; she has also been accused of exaggerating her influence with the king. (Summary from Wikipedia)

Year of Publication: 1873Genres: History , Memoirs

Running Time: 10 hours 34 minutes 37 seconds

#	Chapter Name
1	Dedication and Preface Sibella Denton	7:14
2	On the Threshold Sibella Denton	22:43
3	A Siamese Premier at Home Sibella Denton	19:25
4	A Sketch of Siamese History Sibella Denton	30:06
5	His Excellency’s Harem and Helpmeet Sibella Denton	11:40
6	The Temples of the Sleeping and the Emerald Idols Sibella Denton	7:52
7	The King and the Governess Sibella Denton	22:26
8	Marble Halls and Fish-Stalls Sibella Denton	9:37
9	Our Home in Bangkok Sibella Denton	8:05
10	Our School in the Palace Sibella Denton	17:15
11	Moonshee and the Angel Gabriel Sibella Denton	8:35
12	The Ways of the Palace Sibella Denton	15:45
13	Shadows and Whispers of the Harem Sibella Denton	24:35
14	Fa-Ying, the King’s Darling Sibella Denton	15:28
15	An Outrage and a Warning Sibella Denton	5:42
16	The City of Bangkok Sibella Denton	20:17
17	The White Elephant Kristine Bekere	13:29
18	The Ceremonies of Coronation Kristine Bekere	8:14
19	The Queen Consort Kristine Bekere	6:23
20	The Heir-Apparent; Royal Hair-Cutting Kristine Bekere	26:52
21	Amusements of the Court Kristine Bekere	17:16
22	Siamese Literature and Art Kristine Bekere	16:50
23	Buddhist Doctrine, Priests, and Worship Kristine Bekere	46:57
24	Cremation Kristine Bekere	26:55
25	Certain Superstitions Kristine Bekere	10:17
26	The Subordinate King Kristine Bekere	32:35
27	The Supreme King: His Character and Administration, pt 1 Kristine Bekere	30:19
28	The Supreme King: His Character and Administration pt 2 Kristine Bekere	38:39
29	My Retirement from the Palace Kristine Bekere	36:28
30	The Kingdom of Siam Kristine Bekere	30:43
31	The Ruins of Cambodia; An Excursion to the Naghkon Watt Kristine Bekere	30:25
32	The Legend of the Maha Naghkon Kristine Bekere	15:30