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If you thought you knew the story of Anna in The King and I, think again. As this riveting biography shows, the real life of Anna Leonowens was far more fascinating than the beloved story of the Victorian governess who went to work for the King of Siam. To write this definitive account, Susan Morgan traveled around the globe and discovered new information that has eluded researchers for years. Anna was born a poor, mixed-race army brat in India, and what followed is an extraordinary nineteenth-century story of savvy self-invention, wild adventure, and far-reaching influence. At a time when most women stayed at home, Anna Leonowens traveled all over the world, witnessed some of the most fascinating events of the Age of Empire, and became a well-known travel writer, journalist, teacher, and lecturer. She remains the one and only foreigner to have spent significant time inside the royal harem of Siam. She emigrated to the United States, crossed all of Russia on her own just before the revolution, and moved to Canada, where she publicly defended the rights of women and the working class. The book also gives an engrossing account of how and why Anna became an icon of American culture in The King and I and its many adaptations.

Racially mixed people --- Women travelers --- Women journalists --- Women authors --- British --- Governesses --- Bi-racial people --- Biracial people --- Interracial people --- Mixed race people --- Mixed-racial people --- Mulattoes --- Multiracial people --- Peoples of mixed descent --- Ethnic groups --- Miscegenation --- Women as journalists --- Journalists --- Women in journalism --- Women in the mass media industry --- British people --- Britishers --- Britons (British) --- Brits --- Ethnology --- Child care workers --- Teachers --- Leonowens, Anna Harriette, --- Leonowens, Anna Harriette (Crawford), --- Mǣm ʻǢnnā, --- ʻǢnnā, --- Lēʻōnōwēn, ʻǢnnā, --- Leon Owens, Anna, --- Owens, Anna Leon, --- Halifax (N.S.) --- Montreal (Quebec) --- Thailand --- Halifax, N.S. --- הליפקס (N.S.) --- Halifaḳs (N.S.) --- Halifax Regional Municipality (N.S.) --- Tʻai-kuo --- Hsien-lo --- Muang-Thai --- Thaimaa --- Prates Thai --- Prades Thai --- Thaïlande --- Kingdom of Thailand --- Prathēt Thai --- Tailand --- Thailandia --- Thajsko --- Royal Thai Government --- Ratcha Anachak Thai --- Koninkryk van Thailand --- تايلاند --- Tāylānd --- Tailandia --- Reino de Tailandia --- Tayilande --- Royômo de Tayilande --- Tayland Krallığı --- Pratet Tai --- Thài-kok --- Тайланд --- Каралеўства Тайланд --- Karaleŭstva Taĭland --- Tailandya --- Tajland --- Kraljevina Tajland --- Кралство Тайланд --- Kralstvo Taĭland --- Siam --- Social life and customs --- 19th century. --- academic. --- anna leonowens. --- army brat. --- asia. --- asian history. --- biographical. --- biography. --- british colonies. --- colonial. --- colonialism. --- colonizers. --- governess. --- harem. --- india. --- journalism. --- journalist. --- king of siam. --- life story. --- military family. --- military. --- mixed race. --- musical theatre. --- musicals. --- pop culture. --- real life. --- research. --- revolution. --- royalty. --- scholarly. --- siam. --- strong women. --- teacher. --- the king and i. --- travel writer. --- true story. --- untold story. --- victorian literature. --- victorian.