The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

 

In 1921, Lesley Hamlyn and her retired lawyer husband are living in Penang, Malaysia and frequently host dignitaries. Among them is Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the Chinese revolutionary. Another is the acclaimed writer “Willie” Somerset Maugham. Willie is convinced there are many untold stories behind Lesley’s calm demeanor, fuel for future stories. We learn about the imperfect Hamlyn marriage and the murder trial of one of Lesley’s close friends, based on a true story. The discrete story threads–the murder plot, Dr. Sen’s visits to Malaysia, the Hamlyns’ infidelities–fall short of gelling neatly. Yet Eng’s writing is as magical as ever.