The novel, set in the 1920s British colony of the Federated Malay States, tells the stories of the local residents and visitors, including a fictionalized version of William Somerset Maugham.

Robert Hamlyn, suffering from the disabling effects of chemical warfare from the First World War, is pressuring his wife, much to her dismay, to move to South Africa where he believes the less humid climate will allow his wounds to heal.

Earlier, Lesley told Maugham about her affair with Arthur, a member of Sun Yat-sen's Chinese revolutionary party, when he was in Malaysia to raise funds for the campaign.

[4] Writing for The Financial Times, Michael Arditti describes the novel as "expertly constructed, tightly plotted and richly atmospheric.

[6][7] It was longlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize, whose listing describes the novel as a "masterful novel of public morality and private truth" which "examines love and betrayal under the shadow of Empire.