Thrice times awarded Miss Indochine Marriette Therese Nguyen comes to the attention of the last Emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai, the nightclub king, so called because of his preference for dancing over diplomacy. They have a romantic modern marriage against the wishes of the Imperial Household . In the forties and fifties during the times of The Quiet American, Vietnam is torn with many actors local and international including the Americans, the French, President Diem and Ho Chi Minh. Titled Nam Phuong, Mariette becomes the patron of the Red Cross and is renown for her charitable work. But her husband has romantic affairs undermining the monarchy with his weak negotiation skills. Nam Phuong finds herself having to navigate the royal succession for the sake of the country. But she learns that history is made by what you don't do as much as what you will do...

This novel is based on true events in Vietnam and France from 1932-1963.

"Hoa Pham brings a very distinct era of Vietnamese history to life with vivid detail, captivating dialogue and an artist's sensitivity. Her Catholic Mariette - a woman living through colonialisation, invasion and the decline of an empire- becomes Nam Phoung, the last Empress of Vietnam, through her intelligence, charm and quick-wit. Through her eyes we witness the extraordinary transformation of a nation." Alice Pung