Lies that Blind

As the author to Access to Asia: Your Multicultural Business Guide, I find it refreshing that a European author, E.S. Alexander, has completed such a vast amount of research about Malay culture in the late 18th century. As a self-proclaimed nerd, I am duly impressed that she even drilled down to reading an important book entitled The Hikayat Abdullah, written by Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir, a Malacca-born Munshi of Singapore, first published in 1849, as part of her research. Having lived in Penang for several years, E.S. Alexander has shown a deeper sense of place than someone writing purely from their imagination or desk research. As an interculturalist who studies power distance, I was intrigued by the inclusion of Malay 'peribahasa' or proverbs, as well as insights into how sultans and chiefs wielded power over the 'rakyat' or general populace during that point in history. It is a pleasure to read a historical novel that looks beyond the 'usual suspects' of Tudor England or the Revolutionary War period, one that brings to life a story inspired by true, chronicled events and will expose Western readers to a fascinating time and place: Malaya in the 18th century.

Sharon Schweitzer, JD, Cross-cultural consultant, Access to Culture, and award-winning author

Lies That Blind transported me to another time and place, like any good historical novel should, but it also gripped me with intrigue, wonderfully flawed characters, and masterful storytelling. E. S. Alexander has pulled off a visual and dramatic powerhouse that pulls you in and never lets you go until it’s had its complete way with you. But, isn’t that what every reader wants from a memorable story?

- Jeff Lyons Author of Anatomy of a Premise Line and Rapid Story Development, screenwriter, and film/TV story consultant

Having read E.S. Alexander’s Lies that Blind, it strikes me as strange that I hadn't been more interested in Penang's history. As far as the administrators in my native Singapore were concerned. Penang was the free-port to beat. It's businessmen were more savvy. It's Peranakan Chinese food and culture more refined. Until Lies that Blind, however, I guess there just wasn't a good enough piece of historical fiction to tempt me to delve deeper. For me, historical fiction is always the best introduction into the history of a place. E.S. Alexander's book does just that. The macro-events recounted in the book are based on meticulous research and drawn heavily from Captain Francis Light's letters, so one isn't left wondering if the author is confabulating. But, this is not just a story about the early days of Penang and Light's skirmishes with the Sultan of Kedah. We are also given a coming of age story from an interesting angle, a young Englishman who questions both himself and the unsavoury details of the colonialism his country was exporting. There are far too many stories of this period, written from a white-saviour's viewpoint, with little regard for the experiences of 'the natives'. E.S. Alexander has managed to give us as unbiased a picture of the period as possible, while still maintaining the POV of a Englishman. Once I accepted that I'd be seeing the world from that Englishman's viewpoint, everything else fell together. The prose is masterful. I was swept through the political and commercial negotiations, the adulting pangs, the sieges and sea battles, towards an entirely satisfactory ending with no trouble at all. I think I'm going to read some non-fiction about the period now. Definitely recommended for anyone interested in the history of Penang.

Audrey Chin, author of The Ash House

Liz (E.S.) Alexander has successfully transported us back to an important and interesting period in the history of Malaya with great fervour and personal perspectives. As a student of this history in the ‘70s myself, I find the story that Liz weaves around the main characters, Light and Lloyd, which we learnt from the history books, provides an intimate and personal dimension to otherwise faceless men during a colourful period of adventure and discovery. Reading this book is truly an enjoyable experience.

Datuk Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman, President & CEO, Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology