A Tale of Three Tribes in Dutch Formosa (by Yao-Chang Chen, translated by He Wen-ching)Sitting in for Amy is the duo John Ross & Eryk Michael Smith of Plum Rain Press and the Formosa Files podcast. They discuss their very first book release, a historical novel set in southwestern Taiwan in the mid-1600s. The Dutch East India Company’s presence there (1624-1662) came to an end after a series of battles and an epic nine-month siege by the Ming loyalist warlord Koxinga (aka Zheng Chenggong), born from a Japanese mother and a Chinese father. Three Tribes tells the story of the Dutch, the Chinese, and the Indigenous Siraya people. The main protagonist is Maria, the teenage second daughter of Reverend Antonius Hambroeck, who arrives in Formosa in 1648. Although Maria is a fictional character (Dr. Chen’s imagined Dutch ancestor), the majority of characters in the story, including her family, are real historical people.A Tale of Three Tribes in Dutch Formosa was first published in 2012 in Chinese to great acclaim. For the author, Dr. Chen Yao-chang, then in his sixties, it was an unexpected new career as a historical novelist. The novel was translated into English by Ho Wen-ching, a professor and translator.Notes: Tainan is where the Dutch settlement was and is the old capital city.The Dongning Kingdom was from 1661-1883Frederick Coyett was the last Dutch Governor. See also:Formosa Files Podcast the best podcast on the history of TaiwanPlum Rain Press Your book gateway to East Asia The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan.The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.

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