On Friday, May 19, author Samuel Ferrer will read from his compelling novel, “The Last Gods of Indochine” at Book Passage in Corte Madera at 7 p.m. Longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize, “The Booker of Asia,” this beautifully written story follows the lives of two people separated by six centuries, but are linked by a common curse.

From the publisher: “In medieval Cambodia, Paaku is an orphan whose community believes he may be a reluctant incarnation of a god, causing sectarian turmoil for the kingdom’s leaders. Meanwhile, in 1921, Jacquie follows the footsteps of her grandfather, a famous explorer, to Indochina, where she becomes immersed in the tragedy of Paaku’s history: a story simultaneously unfolding in the intertwined present and past, a story in which she still has a vital role to play.”

The story was inspired by the true life of explorer, Henri Mouhot. Ferrer centers the historical fiction novel around Mouhot’s fictional granddaughter, and uses excerpts from Mouhot’s posthumous-published journal.

Ferrer, formerly from California, has been living in South East Asia since 2002. He is not only a talented author, he is also an accomplished musician, serving as the double bassist and member of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Likewise, he’s also part of Hong Kong’s largest original band, Shaolin Fez, as the bandleader and songwriter. With “The Last Gods of Indochine,” Ferrer became the first non-Asian to have been nominated for Asia’s prestigious award, “The Booker of Asia.”

Find out more about the book and where to find it at typhoon-media.com/indochine.

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