The English Governess at the Siamese Court cover art

The English Governess at the Siamese Court

Preview

Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The English Governess at the Siamese Court

By: Anna Hariette Leonowens
Narrated by: Nadia May
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.
Cancel

About this listen

This is the Victorian memoir that inspired Broadway's The King and I and the newest movie, Anna and the King, starring Jodie Foster.

The English Governess at the Siamese Court, written in 1870, vividly recounts the experiences of one Anna Harriette Leonowens as governess for the sixty-plus children of King Mongkut of Siam, and translator and scribe for the King himself. Bright, young, and energetic, Leonowens was well-suited to her role and her writings convey a heartfelt interest in the lives, legends, and languages of Siam's rich and poor.

She also tells of how she and the King often disagreed on matters domestic. After all, this was the first time King Mongkut had met a woman who dared to contradict him, and the governess found the very idea of male domination intolerable. Overworked and underpaid, Loenowens would eventually resign, but her exchanges with His Majesty, heated and otherwise, on topics like grammar, charity, slavery, politics, and religion add much to her diary's rich, cross-cultural spirit and its East-meets-West appeal.

(P)2000 Blackstone Audiobooks
Classics Educators Historical Southeast Asia Women King Royalty Heartfelt

Critic Reviews

"Recounts of and interactions with the royal family are delightful....May keeps her tone light and humorous" (AudioFile)

What listeners say about The English Governess at the Siamese Court

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.