This is an auction for FRAGRANT HARBOUR by John Lanchester.

"In a departure from his critically acclaimed The Debt to Pleasure and Mr. Phillips, Lanchester's third novel is a suspenseful and moving tale of love, war, death, greed, and corruption, encompassing 70 years of Chinese history and set against the dramatic cityscape of Hong Kong. It is also the author's most personal book: Lanchester grew up in the former British colony, learning Cantonese and listening to the stories of his grandparents, who had been interned by the Japanese during World War II. The conclusion that "the future is more important than the past" will haunt readers long after they finish the novel. Strongly recommended."

• Library Journal (US)

Amazon.com review:

"Two brilliant novels in one, John Lanchester's Fragrant Harbor presents a traditional colonial narrative set in the 1930s and 1940s inside a larger, dizzyingly complex tale of big business at the turn of the 21st century. Lanchester's main character, Tom Stewart, is a Kentish lad who journeys to the exotic Far East in 1935, just as the commercial prospects of Hong Kong are becoming apparent. On his voyage out, Tom is made the object of a curious bet between a Chinese nun and language teacher, Sister Maria, and an anti-Catholic English businessman. As a result, he becomes proficient in Cantonese with only six weeks' study. This skill, unusual in an Englishman, is the making of Tom's career. Sister Maria remains on the periphery of Tom's life in Hong Kong, and their one thought as the Japanese invade the region is to protect each other."

More very favourable reviews on Amazon.com.

Large format (trade) paperback 2002.

299 pages.

Good condition.

The cost of shipping is $6.95.

There is of course no charge for shipping if you collect this book from my shop in Palmerston North following the auction.

Payment within seven days, please.