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A review by ywanderingreads
The Ash House by Audrey Chin
3.0
Another Spooktober read I have on my list is Audrey Chin’s ‘The Ash House’. I was first drawn to the cover and then when I read the blurb, I immediately added this to my #tbr. She was so kind to provide an arc for readers who were interested in the story and that’s how I got my copy.
This story follows Sister Mary Michael Chan, a nun who is sent by her bishop to investigate a possible haunting in the Tjoa family home. The Tjoa family is a well-established business family who had experienced some paranormal activity in the house. The youngest master of the house, Arno, has been portraying strange behaviours with his collection of dolls dressed in his hand-made Peranakan costumes. These dolls are a imitation of the female relatives and maid in the house. He is possibly possessed by a spirit…Initial investigations suggest the second wife of Arno’s grandfather, Bing Fa, is behind this in order to release herself from a curse that binds her to the family. Or is it?
Another important character is Girl, a maid hired to care for Arno’s grandmother. She seeks for better opportunities in life and doesn’t want to be a slave to forever, like Cook. She is opened to the possibility of marrying into the Tjoa family, but is that what her heart desires? As she looks for a way out, she becomes entangled with the Tjoa family and becomes a useful tool for Bing Fa.
I absolutely love the setting of the story which is filled with Asian culture and beliefs. I also got a glimpse of the Tjoa family history which transcends generations, mixing the old with the new. I love that all the main characters have a voice in this story and their contributions which led to their demise. She also covers themes of filial piety in a rich household - how many of us would personally take care of our elderly till the end? Do we not rely on domestic help and end up not spending precious time with them? Another theme she covers is the abuse of female domestic help who are not able to fend for themselves which is a common occurrence nowadays. There were also glimpses of social injustices, family hierarchy drama and gender biases.
I love how Audrey seamlessly added all these themes into the story. Although this didn’t spook me, I was quite invested in the story and I really enjoyed it! Thank you Audrey for sharing an arc with me.
This story follows Sister Mary Michael Chan, a nun who is sent by her bishop to investigate a possible haunting in the Tjoa family home. The Tjoa family is a well-established business family who had experienced some paranormal activity in the house. The youngest master of the house, Arno, has been portraying strange behaviours with his collection of dolls dressed in his hand-made Peranakan costumes. These dolls are a imitation of the female relatives and maid in the house. He is possibly possessed by a spirit…Initial investigations suggest the second wife of Arno’s grandfather, Bing Fa, is behind this in order to release herself from a curse that binds her to the family. Or is it?
Another important character is Girl, a maid hired to care for Arno’s grandmother. She seeks for better opportunities in life and doesn’t want to be a slave to forever, like Cook. She is opened to the possibility of marrying into the Tjoa family, but is that what her heart desires? As she looks for a way out, she becomes entangled with the Tjoa family and becomes a useful tool for Bing Fa.
I absolutely love the setting of the story which is filled with Asian culture and beliefs. I also got a glimpse of the Tjoa family history which transcends generations, mixing the old with the new. I love that all the main characters have a voice in this story and their contributions which led to their demise. She also covers themes of filial piety in a rich household - how many of us would personally take care of our elderly till the end? Do we not rely on domestic help and end up not spending precious time with them? Another theme she covers is the abuse of female domestic help who are not able to fend for themselves which is a common occurrence nowadays. There were also glimpses of social injustices, family hierarchy drama and gender biases.
I love how Audrey seamlessly added all these themes into the story. Although this didn’t spook me, I was quite invested in the story and I really enjoyed it! Thank you Audrey for sharing an arc with me.