Elaine Russel’s “When the Tamarind Tree Blooms” was a painful reminder of the damage done when one country takes control of another.
Laos has a long history of disputes between royal families and their strict adherence to racial purity. When the French occupied the country, it added another layer of division. As with any occupying force, French soldiers soon formed relationships with young Lao women. Those relationships often resulted in mixed race children who were rejected by both Loa and the French.
Genevieve Dubois has lived at the Catholic orphanage for 14 years. In a matter of days, she will be 18 and learn about her family. But Director Bernard refuses to share any of her information.
That evening, she and her best friend Brigette sneak into the director’s office and look at her file. It reveals the name of her father and mother plus the existence of a twin brother. There is little beyond the fact that her father returned to France in 1915.
The director throws her into the street. Luckly, Catherine, one of Vivi’s former teachers takes her in. Sadly, no one will hire the pretty, mixed-race young woman. Vivi’s sheltered life has not prepared her for the open hostility and dangers she must face.
She happens to meet a young man at a Buddhist temple. Before she knows it, Vivi is madly in love with Prince Baunmy Savang. She has no idea that his family has already arranged for him to marry a pure Lao girl and would never accept Vivi.
Through Baunmy, Vivi finds a job in his family’s shipping business. She has no real duties and gets the impression that Baunmy’s cousin Khum is trying to keep her from understanding the accounting system.
Through a series of unexpected events, Vivi finds her mother’s family, and they eagerly accept her. Her aunt explains that her mother and father were deeply in love, but he was duty-bound to return and fight in World War I. Sadly, he was killed in action and never able to return to his Lao family. Shunned and brokenhearted, Vivi’s mother was forced to turn her children over to the orphanage system before dying of typhoid.
With some work, she tracks down her brother. He was raised in a different orphanage and is working on a large coffee plantation. He is surprised and delighted to know he has a sister and family, and they make plans to reunite the entire family.
Vivi knows she shouldn’t make plans, but her love for Baunmy is so strong, it overcomes common sense. When she asks Khum about account irregularities, he brushes her off, then demands that she meet him at the office. Once there, he savagely rapes Vivi. Catherine takes her to the hospital where the rape causes her to miscarry Baunmy’s baby. Her misery is compounded when she realizes Baunmy must go through with the planned marriage.
Catherine’s friends threaten Khum if he spreads more rumors about her, and Baunmy makes sure Khum provides Vivi a large sum for the harm he caused.
Some of her hurt is eased by the arrival of Catherine’s brother Julien. His company helps restore her hope for a future. She learns that Baunmy has rejected his family’s bride, but will he be strong enough to choose a life with Vivi? Time will tell, and Vivi is willing to wait.
With the support of her newfound family and her friends, Vivi begins to dream again. She and her brother are offered scholarships to study abroad. He hopes to become a doctor and return to care for the people of Laos. She plans to study law and fight for the rights of the Lao people. Especially those of mixed races.
AT A GLANCE
Book: When the Tamarind Tree Blooms
Author: Elaine Russell
Publisher: Belles Histories
Year published: 2024
Number of pages: 400
Historical romance is set in French-era Laos
