The Ghost Bride is a critically-acclaimed novel by breakout Malaysian novelist Yangsze Choo first published by William Morrow in 2013. Set in 19th-century Malaya under British colonial rule, The Ghost Bride explores themes of tradition, love, and filial piety in a romantic and ethereal setting.
This novel is a cross between genres, with elements of fantasy, bildungsroman (coming-of-age), and young-adult novel, all intertwining to create a literary masterpiece. Choo follows the story of a poor girl named Li Lan whose poverty results in her having to participate in a traditional "ghost marriage" (in which her fiancé has died and she is integrated into his familial line) in order to feed her family, and chronicles her experiences and the conflicts she experiences in the ethereal world of the afterlife.
The Ghost Bride has been nominated for numerous awards since its first publication including the Shirley Jackson Award for Novels, the Carnegie Medal, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award.
