Dara Rasami was a Princess of Chiang Mai who became one of the princess consorts of King Chulalongkorn of Siam (Thailand). She was still only around 13 years old when she entered the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Her only child with the King was a daughter named Vimolnaka Nabisi, who tragically died at the age of 2.
Despite coming from royalty, Dara was quite low-ranked among the consorts, and her upbringing and mode of dress caused her to be treated like something of an outcast.
Woman between Two Kingdoms: Dara Rasami and the Making of Modern Thailand takes a look at Dara’s life as one of the King’s consorts. The book is a fascinating look at the workings of the Thai monarchy, the differences between the consorts and what their daily life looked like.
The book is very well-researched and quite readable for all types of audiences. I am glad to see more books being published on non-European monarchies, as these are long overdue. Overall, I would highly recommend Woman between Two Kingdoms: Dara Rasami and the Making of Modern Thailand by
Woman between Two Kingdoms: Dara Rasami and the Making of Modern Thailand by Leslie Castro-Woodhouse is available now in the UK and the US.
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