The Road to Rangoon by Lucy Cruickshanks

The Road to Rangoon Reviews

• 
  Tripfiction

  Novel set in Burma (“…in Burma anything could be bought with money and nerve.”)
  
  Set in a very difficult period of Burma’s history, this novel brings the rawness and uncertainty of the times to life in the later 20th Century. We meet Thuza, a young woman, who has seen tragedy at the heart of her family. The Armed Forces, the Tatmadaw, hold a tight grip over the citizens, and people have to do what they have to do, to make ends meet. Thuza turns, quite successfully, to ruby smuggling and the whole process is eye opening and well researched (the best rubies are hard and cold when touched with the tongue, for example). Michael, the son of the British Ambassador is waiting to go back to England, but soon he is missing; and Than, an ambitious military officer, sees his chance to move swiftly through the ranks.
  
  There are very carefully observed mannerisms amongst the local people, and the oppressive times in which the people of Burma were living are acutely portrayed. It cleverly sets the historical for anyone who is going to visit in the 21st Century who wants to gain a sense of the country of Myanmar today.
  
  “This is Burma, and it will be quite unlike any land you know about.” Rudyard Kipling, Letters from the East
  
  Lucy talks to us about her travels/researches in Myanmar:
  http://www.tripfiction.com/lucy-cruic...
• 
  Dane Cobain

  This is the second of two books that Lucy has written and which are set in Burma, and I was kind of expecting this one to be a sequel. It wasn’t, at least as far as I could tell, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying it. Perhaps it’s not the kind of book that I’d usually read, but I’m still glad that I picked it up.
  
  Cruickshanks has a knack for establishing a sense of place, and when you’re reading this book it really feels as though you’re there. The plot was great as well, although I wasn’t too attached to the characters. I think the characters were better in the first book but that the plot was better in this one, so perhaps it just depends on what kind of reader you are.
  
  Another good thing about this book was how quick and easy it was to read. I whizzed through it in two or three days and when I finished, it felt like I’d just got back from a holiday. It wasn’t much of a holiday though, because the book is set during the 1980s before armed conflict in the country led to it changing its name from Burma to Myanmar. Rangoon was also changed to Yangon, which means that even the title of this book helps to establish a sense of time and place.
  
  Because of that, this novel is a sort of weird mixture between literary fiction, historical fiction and a sort of military thriller. I can’t think of anything that I’ve read that’s quite like it, and I read a lot of different stuff. I’d be interested to know what some of Cruickshanks’ inspirations were when she wrote this, although I also watch her talk about books on BookTube and so I already know what she’s into.
  
  So would I recommend this one? Yes and no, because I don’t think it’s quite right for everyone. That said, I think if the synopsis sounds good and you have some sort of interest in Burma then it’s pretty much a no-brainer, because it’s well-written, well-edited and an all-round professional release. The only reason I can think of that someone might not like it would be if they’re just not that interested in the subject matter.
  
  All in all, then, Lucy did a great job with this one and I think it was a worthy follow-up to her first book. She didn’t just try to imitate herself and that’s to be commended. Good stuff.
• 
  Ann Foweraker

  Having read Lucy Cruickshanks previous novel the Trader of Saigon quite a while ago (though I see I haven't reviewed it *note* must do) I was expecting a similar tale - as is often the case. The only similarity is the interplay and the story telling from a select number of viewpoints. This is a technique I enjoy reading through as we get different perspectives on what is happening - as well and a deep insight into the motivations and true thoughts of the characters. And what characters! The traumatised Thurza - who struggles on alone burdened by guilt she heaped on herself at the age of eleven, Michael, the naive British Ambassadors son, playing at being one of the locals in Rangoon but understanding almost nothing about the dangers and the country, and Than, the Tatmadaw officer, who dreams of promotion, who loves his 'military family' so much that he will press his bright son to join rather than aim for university. The interplay between these people is unexpected and poignant. The betrayals and the losses shocking. Yet through it all we also experience a slice of Burma's troubled history - that, I for one, was largely in ignorance of. A book to get involved with! Note: the Author notes at the end explain exactly why and how this extraordinary book was inspired - and are very interesting - and worth reading before the book if you can.
• 
  Angela

  4.5
• 
  Mystica

  The story and descriptiveness including the harsh reality of life under a military regime was meticulously told. It was the actual harshness of real life that made me read this book slowly. It was not a book that could be read quickly. You had to take it in small doses.
  
  Set in military Myanmaar, Michael Atwood is the British ambassador's son who goes missing. Michael is friendly and who you are friendly with becomes of vital importance in a situation like this because when he does go missing, he could be used as a pawn amongst the various groups fighting for dominance. Michael himself is innocent of these machinations and the crowd he falls in with is a mixed bunch.
  
  We have strong characters in this book the chief of which is a young woman, fighting for survival not just for herself - pitting herself between smugglers and the military which is corrupt, but she is fighting for the survival of her parents whom she believes are alive but in prison. All her efforts are made with the intention of collecting enough money, to grease the palms of all the officials who will be needed to free her only surviving family.
  
  Heartbreakingly sad as you do realise where this is going, the story is also very descriptive not just of the regime and its methods but also the sheer beauty of Myanmaar.
  
• 
  Emma Crowley

  The Road to Rangoon is the second novel from Lucy Cruickshanks but the first book I have read by this author. What first attracted me to this book was the cover and title, I love books set in foreign countries which also have the historical element. I got that in abundance with this book although I will freely admit, for a large part I was confused as to the historical background to the country and how there were several factions fighting for control. To me it seemed as if the author presumed all her readers would have full knowledge and awareness as to the turbulent past Burma had experienced and was continuing to do so in the 1980's - the time in which this book was set. Yes older readers may have had a strong idea but for me I had a very very vague notion as to what had been going on and the struggles Thuza and her family had long endured. Normally I would be happy with a historical note at the end( which we got in great detail here) but with this book I felt it was needed at the beginning so the reader was conscious as to how we arrive in the time and place when we first encounter Thuza living in the Shan state in March 1974.
  
  The prologue did give us a fascinating insight as to the political situation in the country. We learned a lot how the residents lived in a constant state of fear and terror and a struggle to survive and rear families. One cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to live in a valley in the depths of the Burmese countryside where land mines surround you and roads are stalked by bandits and rebels. Their aim being to gain control of Burma for themselves. Thuza is 11 when the event that shapes the book occurs and what powerful scenes we read of the destruction and decimation of a family. The scenes here were upsetting and harrowing and laid clear why Thuza becomes the person we read of throughout the remainder of the book and the reader can quite clearly see she is justified in the majority of her actions.
  
  We flash forward 9 years later to Rangoon and the British embassy where Michael Atwood is visiting his father - the current British ambassador. We discover how Burma should be the richest country on earth considering its wealth of natural resources - oil, teak, fish, minerals and gemstones but the rebels have the country the other way. Burma is now a place where danger lurks around every corner and suspicion, fear, spies and threats are a daily occurrence making this country not the most easiest place to live in. For a 'foreigner' Michael puts himself in positions he should not be part of or witness to. OK he didn't stay behind closed doors in the embassy but rather wanted to integrate himself into the culture and the sights and sounds of a world miles apart from the only place he knows - Britain. The author does a remarkable job of describing the cultural differences between Burma and Britain. I felt I was there alongside Michael as he explored the streets and sights of Rangoon and met with his friend Sein. A major incident changes everything that Michael believes in and thought he knew about Burma and to seek retribution he embarks upon a perilous journey which eventually leads him to Thuza. Michael to me was selfish in some ways and quite oblivious in others, he put himself in constant danger through his reckless actions and in fact was more endangering others through what he went on to do. When he encounters Thuza he is convinced because his father has such an important job that he can fix everything and help her out of poverty and the hellish existence she endures every day. Overall he just seemed a bit beyond what was going on and although as I said he wants to make up for the incident that happened he didn't really give heed as to what he was facing into and was blissfully ignorant. He felt guilty and hopeless because of what had happened but to me he was doing more harm than good. I can't say I really liked Michael he just seemed to frustrate me and I couldn't warm to him at all.
  
  Thuza is the stand out character in this book. She is as tough as nails and hardened from her past experiences and only has one goal in mind. She will do anything to achieve this and has spent years formulating and working out a plan which if it all comes together will see retribution for past events. Villagers hate her for her so called betrayal but to me she was a fascinating character who we could clearly see grow in strength and courage and above all else had family at the centre of her thoughts and ultimate goal. To outsiders she may seem bitter and strange but underneath it all she is very complex and her brain is always on the go trying to work out just how can she fix the past despite it knocking on her door everyday. Someone so young should not have to grow up and smuggle rubies just to exist. I realise her brother wanted to go and fight for freedom and independence but he shouldn't have left Thuza alone forcing her into the most awful of acts when she should be able to enjoy being a young woman(well as much as one could in Burma despite opression).
  
  Another character the book focus on is Than – a police officer. For endless pages I questioned why was he in this book, what role had he to play bar being law enforcement? He was boring to read about and I found his ramblings inconsequential but I should have known the author knew what she was doing and that every character be they minor or major had a role to play. The blurb states Than is an ambitious military officer yet to me he wanted everyone else to do the dirty work and then he would step in and take the credit and earn promotion. In my opinion he was weak and feeble and in the end he paid the ultimate sacrifice for his so called ambition and forwardness. One which sees him realise he is only a small token in the game and there are far more major players at work.Although part of me did have a tiny shred of sympathy for what happens to him. As all three major characters collide and events finally unfold my interest finally started to appear but in this case perhaps a little too late for me to fully absorb and become gripped in the overall storyline.
  
  This book demands all of your attention whilst you read through the story. It's not one that you can pick up every now and then as it requires every bit of concentration so as to follow what is going on and as I said I did become confused. The action really doesn't pick up until around the 70% mark and I was close to giving up but the final 30% made up for the slow pace that had come before. I had hoped for more action spaced throughout the book and when it did eventually get going there were so many twists and turns and shocking revelations coming out of nowhere that yet again I could barely keep up. My heart broke at what unfolds as I was really hoping for one character to get a different ending but I suppose it's better that books don't always confirm to the norm. I'm a huge fan of historical fiction and would say this is a good interesting read but it didn't keep me hooked from beginning to end turning the pages rapidly. It did provide me with an insight into a time and place that I had not much awareness or interest in before and for that I am grateful. The Road to Rangoon is worth reading but overall I don't think this one was one of the best reads for me this year.
• 
  Tocotin

  
  I ended up liking this book, which surprised me, because it was very heavy on description; every detail of the surroundings, of the characters’ movement, of weather was meticulously noted, and it weighed the book down in places. But the story was intriguing and different, and so were the characters, especially Thuza (the young heroine) and the Tatmadaw officer. I didn’t care for Michael at all, but then I had to acknowledge his usefulness to the plot – and I was grateful that his acquaintance with Thuza didn’t end in the way I was afraid it would.
  
  I rooted for Thuza the most, but the Tatmadaw officer’s storyline was the one that really held my interest.
  
  I don’t know enough about Myanmar/Burma to be able to tell how accurate it all was, but the attitudes and cultural details felt quite authentic, especially the officer’s (I’m sorry, I can’t remember his name) thoughts and behavior. The secondary characters were well drawn too. I didn’t like how the monk’s storyline ended, and I felt that Thuza’s family was a bit too Westernized in their attitudes, but those are minor quibbles. All in all, reading this book was a satisfying experience.
• 
  Aditi

  “When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.”
  
  ----Nelson Mandela
  
  
  Lucy Cruickshanks, an English author, has penned yet another enticing and poignant tale, The Road to Rangoon that is set across the beautiful yet sad land of Burma which is centered around three characters whose lives are entwined and engulfed in the clutches of the civil war against the Burmese Military Armed Forces, officially known as Tatmadaw.
  
  
  Synopsis:
  
  In 1980s Burma, the British ambassador’s son goes missing.
  
  Discovering himself in the north of the country, Michael Atwood is in imminent danger, trapped between sides fighting a bitter civil war and with no way back to Rangoon. His best hope of salvation is to trust Thuza, a ruby smuggler who offers to help him escape.
  
  Beautiful and deeply scarred, Thuza has spent her entire life in a frontier town between rebel and government forces, never choosing a side but trying to make a living from both. For Thuza, the ambassador’s son is her ticket out of poverty. For Than, an ambitious military officer, exploiting those caught in the war offers an opportunity for promotion and distinction.
  
  But as all three learn to their cost, in this enigmatic and savage country, everyone has a price.
  
  From the heart of Burma’s exotic Rubyland comes an emotional thriller, as three lives are thrown together by the desperate choices they make to survive in a country gripped by civil war: a tale of ambition, salvation and hope that confirms Lucy Cruickshanks as a master storyteller.
  
  
  Michael Atwood, the son of a British Ambassador in Burma goes missing and soon he realizes that he is caught in the war from both the sides and the power they holds on his capture is invaluable, that is when he needs to trust the only person who can help him to rescue from the grips of the rebels.
  
  Thuza, the local Burmese girl, is a ruby smuggler, who knows her job well like the back of her hand, on how to differentiate ruby from the rocks, as it is the only salvation to buy her parents' freedom from the right officials.
  
  Than, works and abides by the strict rules of the Tatmadaw army, is soon tested on his loyalty towards the Army, and he is forever desperate to climb the ladders of success by pleasing the General. Things change when he forces his son, Min, to join the forces and to take strict measures against those who wrong by the Armed Forces.
  
  These three lives in Burma, now known as Myanmar, will break the hearts of the readers as their lives unfold and when their fate plays a major role to bring them together under dire circumstances.
  
  The author has once again delivered a spectacular tale of love, freedom and loyalty towards one own government set against the back of another country from the far east- Burma, which harbors a difficult era in Burmese history, which not only torn apart the lives of the common man, but which made it impossible to survive under the dominance of the Tatmadaw army.
  
  The author has evocatively captured the time frame as well as the location with her eloquent words. The background of Burma is dominated by lush and dense green forests and the tombs of the many Buddhist temples and that the author has vividly captured in her story line. The land where beauty of mother nature and repressive army plays a major role, is well painted into the canvas of the story as the author strikingly captures the culture, the local dialect and the grief of the citizens through her story. The author has done her research quite well with the ways how to find a ruby among the rocks, where to find it, and also the governance of the army and their torture among common people.
  
  The author's writing style is spell-binding that I lost track of time as I devoured the novel in just one sitting. The book is highly addictive as articulate narrative shifts from one character to another. The pacing is really fast, despite the fact that the author has written the scenes descriptively, that made it easier for me to picture the events right in front of my eyes. The story is engrossing and kept me glued till the very end. The author has penned with so much deep, moving emotions and it definitely felt like she has poured all her best emotions into it.
  
  The characters are drawn with realism and simplicity. The challenges thrown on their track made me rooting for them. All the three characters are inspiring and sad laced with grief and their demeanor is something to watch out for when they are caught in the politics and the war with the government and they are bound to leave an impression long after the end of this powerful historical fiction. The story has a complex and nostalgic ending that definitely moved me. The supporting characters are highly well-developed.
  
  Overall the story is enthralling, thought-provoking and thoroughly gripping till the end set against the back drop of Burma in the late 20th century.
  
  Verdict: Definitely a must read for all historical fiction lovers.
  
  Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Lucy Cruickshanks, yet again, for giving me an opportunity to read and review her novel.
• 
  Justine

  I remember reading this back in 2016 when I was backpacking around Myanmar. I found it on a shelf at our hostel where we could borrow or trade books. I managed to finish it all throughout my trip and gave it a more colorful perspective. Rich in history but embraced in Fiction, I'm glad I was able to stumble upon this book once more so I can make sure to record this review and add to my shelf.
• 
  Gemma Fairbrother

  It was hard to engage in Michael's storyline. I got wrapped up in reading about Thuza and Min though. And suddenly I was sucked in.
• 
  Zarina

  
  http://www.pagetostagereviews.com/201...
  
  Lucy Cruickshanks has written an impeccably researched novel to create a heart-wrenching and haunting story of different people's lives colliding in the worst possible way amid the terror and confusion of a Civil War in 1980s Burma.
  
  The rebels and the government are in an impossible stand-off where there can no longer be any winners as there is little beyond fear, corruption and ultimately death on both sides. One of the people caught in the horrific events playing out is Thuza Win, who was just a child when her parents were beaten in front of her eyes and taken away. The people who took her parents also slashed her tongue and now she is known as Naga-Ma, serpent, among the local people. She tries to not let the locals bother her and instead she focuses all her time and energy on smuggling rubies across the border to help her brother in the rebel camp and save up enough money to go to Rangoon and save her parents from prison.
  
  Than Chit is an officer in the Tatmadaw, the government military organisation fighting the rebels. His biggest dream is to be recognised by General Bo Win and he believes that getting his intelligent son, Min, to join him in the Tatmadaw as soon as possible will put him on the fast-track to the promotion he deserves. And finally there is Michael, the son of the British ambassador in Rangoon. He gets caught up in a bombing in the city and he makes a discovery that leads to his life colliding catastrophically with those of Thuza and Than. They meet under the most terrifying of circumstances and all three of them have their own agenda as they formulate a plan that will help them get what they want; Thuza's parents freed, Than's promotion and Michael's discovery made public.
  
  I don't do graphically depicted scenes of people being tortured and suffering well, and there were plenty of those in The Road to Rangoon. It made me feel uncomfortable at times while reading yet it also added to the authenticity of the story and I realise that without them this book wouldn't have made the impact on me that it did. The choices people were forced to make in 1980s Burma were horrific and a lot of the time there was no clear right or wrong, there was only doing what you had to do to survive.
  
  People such as Thuza and Than would've been the bad guys under any other circumstances, yet they often made the only possible choice in difficult situations, hoping that the end would justify the means. Of course it wouldn't, but their sheer determination got them through the worst of times and that was admirable. I didn't particularly like any of the characters to begin with, except maybe for Michael, yet despite the terrible things they did, Lucy Cruickshanks has done an impressive job of making me understand why the characters had to make these difficult choices, up until the point where I actually started to feel sympathetic towards them.
  
  And she has an incredible way of transporting the reader to a faraway setting that is so alien through our blessed Western view of the world that it almost feels like pure fiction. But of course what makes this novel so disconcerting is that the story is rooted in facts, and that events very similar to what the main characters suffer from have truly happened to a lot of the Burmese people; whether they were on the government's side, the rebel's side or neither, nobody would've come out unscathed. It's insane to realise that all this went on quite recently, and similar practices still are elsewhere in the world. It's very easy to close our eyes to the horrors that are happening beyond our own borders, but books like these are much-needed eye openers.
  
  The Road to Rangoon isn't an easy journey, not for the characters and not for the readers either, instead it is horrific, haunting and heart-wrenching. However, if you can persevere through the disturbing imagery showing the worst side of humanity, you'll be rewarded with an intelligent and incredibly impactful read. This isn't an enjoyable novel in the literal sense of the world, but it is an engrossing and enlightening one, and the powerful story within packs such a punch that it will stay with the reader long after turning the final page.
• 
  Simon

  I had a great time reading Trader of Saigon, and so was eager to see what was on offer for the author’s second novel. The answer being a book that takes all the compelling features of the first, but demonstrates her growing talent as a writer and storyteller.
  
  This book is set during the Burmese civil war, as the two sides – the military government and the rebels - duke it out for control of the profitable ruby producing region, Mogok. Again though, this is a novel about the ordinary people who have to deal with the consequences of that larger battle. The three main characters weighing up their own and families’ best needs against the ongoing threat of the regime and being forced to make some tough decisions to better their situation – often playing off the two sides to get by. Who really are the good people? And who can be trusted when so much is at stake? I loved the fact that nothing is black and white here morally.
  
  Much like Trader, a gutsy young female is one of the central characters, and for me she provides the heart of the novel as she grinds out life as a gem smuggler. But the other key characters – a British ambassadors son, and a mid ranking officer in the military - are well drawn and come from entirely different angles. That they become legitimately linked is testament to the skilled handling of the story. The plot twists and turns ingeniously right to the very end, taking you on an emotional and ever surprising journey.
  
  Again, the exotic physical scenery is beautifully evoked – whether that be landmine filled jungle, the faded glamour of old colonial villas or the humid backstreets of Rangoon. But the prose has the drive to create drama and movement with some excellent set pieces throughout that propel the characters in directions they didn’t think they’d take.
  
  I heartily recommend this book. It’s extremely readable, a transporting experience due to the excellent writing and detail and will keep you guessing until the very end.
• 
  Isla Scott

  Quite a sad read - not as uplifting as I may have naively hoped it may be. It is, however, a very engrossing read. I found myself rooting for the characters and keen to find out how the story developed. The author gives some vivid descriptions and it is quite a good, involving read but it doesn't shy away from descriptions of violence and from the political harshness of the time (baring in mind that this novel is set in 1980s Burma).
  
  I felt that perhaps in parts the descriptions and level of detail was a bit unnecessarily long winded. I normally prefer to stick to reading novels that are no longer than about 350-400 pages and this weighs in at a hefty 428 pages long, which probably wasn't entirely necessary but thats a personal niggle and I'm quite proud of how quickly I managed to read it all (mainly as I've been off on holiday, to be fair. It'd have taken longer had I been at work, of course).
• 
  Matthew Trearty

  I really enjoyed this book which seems to be little known by the amount of reads it has got on here. The characters are all interesting, relatable in some ways and flawed in others, which I liked. The historical aspect of the book is interesting. Even after living in a neighboring country for the last 8 years I still had little knowledge of Myanmar and the history of the various civil wars and coups.
  
  The writing is good and the story fast paced and interesting. It is an enjoyable read from start to end, with some interesting lessons in history thrown in.
• 
  Gill

  I found this book quite hard to get into at first but as the three main characters lives became intertwined the claustrophobic plot carried me along.
  (As noted by others, the copy editor needs to be more careful.)
• 
  Saturday's Child

  Another novel where both the cover and the title caught my eye and said "read me".