Introduction

When Crystal’s husband, Brian, suddenly announces that his company is sending him to manage its Bangkok office and that he expects her and their children to come along, she reluctantly acquiesces. She doesn’t want to leave the job she loves and everything familiar in their small Oklahoma town; it’s 1975, however, and Crystal, a woman with traditional values, feels she has to be a good wife and follow her husband.

Crystal finds beauty in Thailand, but also isolation and betrayal. Fighting intense loneliness and buffeted by a series frightening and shocking events, she struggles to adapt to a very different culture and battle a severe depression?and, ultimately, decide whether her broken relationship with her husband is worth saving.

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Excerpt

Chapter 1

“You’re moving to where?” asked Amber, as they walked out of the grocery store together.
“Bangkok,” repeated Crystal. “You know, the capital of Thailand, in Asia.”
“That’s the end of the world! Are all of you going?”
“Yes, the whole family. Brian is going ahead soon, and then I’ll go over with Tim and Lisa in June.”
“I don’t believe it. I don’t think anyone from Pico City has ever moved to Thailand. How will you live? What will you do? Are you just going to leave your job here? How will the kids go to school? Isn’t there a war going on over there? What will I do without being able to talk to you?” ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

From the author:

1. Do you think Crystal made the right choice in deciding to follow Brian to Bangkok? What would her life have been if she had stayed with the children in Pico City? What would Brian have done in Bangkok? Would he have taken Judi as a “minor wife”?

2. Why was Brian able to overcome his upbringing and religion so readily as he continued to see Judi and to lie to Crystal?

3. Why couldn’t Crystal figure out how to make a life in Bangkok? Was the problem intrinsic to her? Or was she the victim of circumstances?

4. If Crystal and Brian had moved to Bangkok today rather than in 1975, would Crystal have been so lonely?

5. Crystal continued to teach Nit and push her to learn, despite repeated warnings that she shouldn’t get involved with a servant. Was she right to try to help Nit? Did her American view of equality blind her to the problem? Was she continuing for her own sake or Nit’s?

6. Why was Brian so perceptive with respect to his work, but so unperceptive about Crystal’s situation?

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