Jones Owen - The Lady In The Tree

The Lady in the Tree picks up right where book three, Maya – Illusion, left off. Lek remains in business with her longtime friend Ayr, and they are serious about it, particularly when local rivals attempt to intimidate them. The two friends devise a bold plan, one they can't even share with their friends, family, or husbands. Soom is still studying at university in Bangkok and doing well, despite facing her own challenges, along with the impending final exams that the political turmoil in the capital threatens to disrupt. Craig keeps writing but suddenly realizes he has more significant issues than just completing and selling his books. An old friend and an elderly woman offer the three women strikingly similar and insightful advice, but what will be the outcome? The Behind The Smile Series tells the story of Lek, a bar girl in Pattaya, Thailand. Lek is the eldest of four children in a typical rice farming family located in the northern rice belt of Thailand. One day, a disaster struck unexpectedly—her father died young, leaving behind substantial debts that the family was unaware of. At just twenty years old, Lek was the only one who could save the family farm from foreclosure, allowing her younger sister and two brothers to continue their education. The only option she saw was to work in her cousin’s bar in Pattaya. Can a bar girl from Pattaya ever return to being a conventional girlfriend or wife? 'Behind The Smile' offers a glimpse into a unique aspect of Thailand, a nation recognized worldwide as 'The Land of Smiles'. The Lady in the Tree continues straight on from book three, Maya – Illusion. Lek is still in business with her old friend Ayr and they mean business as well, especially when rivals from nearby try to intimidate them. The two friends come up with a daring solution, which they can't even discuss with their friends, family or husbands. Soom is still at university in Bangkok and doing well in spite of having problems of her own, let alone looming final exams, which political upheaval in the capital threatens to disrupt. Craig continues to write, but he realises all of a sudden that he has bigger problems than finishing and selling his books. An old friend and an old lady give the three women some remarkably similar and accurate advice, but where will it get them? Translator: JOHN ROBERTS PUBLISHER: TEKTIME