The Opium Queen: The Untold Story of the Rebel Who Ruled the Golden Triangle

by Gabrielle Paluch

Gabrielle Paluch tells the wild and improbable story of a female warlord in the Golden Triangle. A fearless Burmese opium queen, Olive Yang dressed, smoked, fought, and loved like one of the boys, rebelling against the confines of her gender from a very young age and later carrying on flamboyant love affairs with a movie starlet, a general’s wife, and her own prison warden, among others. Revered by her soldiers, this trailblazing woman reigned over a powerful army that controlled the Golden Triangle and infamously assisted the CIA in their plan to arm militias against Communist Chinese troops. Yet this female firebrand, who was at the center of global events that altered the course of history, largely has been forgotten. Until a few years ago, no one even seemed to know whether Olive was alive or dead. Determined to right this wrong, Gabrielle set out on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to find Olive Yang. Intertwining Olive’s story with her own quest to uncover it, Gabrielle raises hard questions about the United States’ covert intervention in Burma, which is largely to thank for the birth of the modern opium trade, fueling the US heroin epidemic of the 1970s and today’s ongoing opioid crisis.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Biography Memoir, Audiobook, Historical, China

219 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 2022

Reviews

[Cam · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a slow book that I thought would get more in depth but didn’t.

[Dickie · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a great story in here, but poor writing and editing, faulty copy editing, and bad quality graphics kept me from enjoying this facinating story.

[Laura L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This was interesting and left me wanting more. Olive Yang is a warlord from Burma who fought against the Chinese communist regime. She was horribly misunderstood being a lesbian and likely transgender. I hadn't heard of Olive before listening to this but she is someone I want to know so much more about. I would highly recommend this book.

[A. Lorna Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was an interesting read. I'm more of a fiction than nonfiction reader but still enjoy nonfiction in small doses so this was perfect. The writing style was engaging enough and the narrator was good.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, I found it got into things right away, no long intro or anything, so I had to really pay attention from minute one. I found it a very satisfying listen, learning about this legendary life from interviews to big fish stories and everything in between. I especially enjoyed the observations about what was left out of the stories or the invention or exaggeration of stories to cover up traumatic experiences.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Rowman & Littlefield for an advance copy of this biography on a woman who fought to live the way she wanted, be it in love, life and her people, and became a folk hero to some, a villain to others, even as she remained unknown to the world.

Being a rebel means a lot of different things. Rebelling against your parents, wearing pants, not wanting to be traditional, loving differently than society appreciates. Or a rebel against governments, fighting the communists for the betterment of your people, and making connections that will last later. Or rebelling against the law, creating a territory that grew opium that made lots of money, and helped finance many plans by the CIA in their numerous operations in Asia. Olive Yang was all this and more. A revolutionary, a drug empress, a mother, a lover of guns, women, and American Jeeps. A not so good mother, a nontraditional daughter, who wore pants, lead an army and became a folk hero. A legend in the area of Myanmar, Olive Yang is not as well known her, though her legacy has caused a lot of damage all over the world. The Opium Queen: The Untold Story of the Rebel Who Ruled the Golden Triangle written by journalist and writer Gabrielle Paluch is a story of both Olive, and her myth, and the land that made her, and that she nearly broke in so many ways.

Olive Yang loved guns, women, and living life the way she wanted it, and hated to be told what to do. In America a man like this would be celebrated. Olive Yang was a woman, and a lesbian, something she never tried to deny, nor hide. Starting at an early age she rebelled, first as her mother wanted to bind her feet to make her a real catch for future husbands. To bind feet, they would first be broken then tied, so they did not heal well. Olive, somehow didn't let this bother her, learning to walk on her heels, and still able to ride the horses that she loved. To marry she was given guns, and fought her husband at every opportunity, having a child, but abandoning her family for a life as a rebel. Soon she was fighting the Communists, making deals with drug dealers, and working with the Central Intelligence Agency in efforts to destabilise China, which hurt her own people. However Olive Yang was just getting started.

A fascinating book about a true character. There is much discussed about Olive Yang, but getting to the truth is the hardest part. So many stories that really did turn out to be true. Gabrielle Paluch does a really good job, researching and finding people who knew Olive Yang and trying to find out the truth. Actually the book is almost a dual biography, as Paluch's research takes her to many interesting places, and dangerous too. The book is very well written, and really does its best to tell what the true stories are, from legends that Olive Yang put out, or her enemies might have told. Yes she stabbed a baby, but it was an accident. She did steal many wives from her enemies, and her friends too. And yes Olive was owed a lot of powerful favors, from political to criminal people. Also the book tries to explain the politics and history of the region, and does a very good job at that also. A very interesting read.

Recommended for people who would like to know more about the intersection of the CIA and drug running, there is a long history, and this just touches on a bit of it. Also for readers of biographies on woman defying society, and living life on her own terms, even if that puts a person deep into a criminal underground. A well written book on a person I knew little about. I look forward to more by Gabrielle Paluch.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Gabrielle Pallage went to work for a newspaper in Myanmar straight out of college it would be years before she ever heard of Miss hairy legs but once she did she wanted to know more. It would take her to dive bars, dark parts of her New temporary country she would meet Olive’s paranoid sun her niece and a slew of strange characters but eventually she would get the story and what a story it is. She got her name Olive from the nun’s at St. Mary’s her family called her urgy, which means second sister in her language. Where she got her original authentic attitude from would be something of myth and legend. She’s from a very long line of cheif’s as her dad was when she was little. Olive would also grow up to run a kingdom of sorts send it even had a military. When she grew up smoking opium wasn’t look down upon it was just like white middle-class moms drinking wine today its so for her to cornered the market all the product only came natural in her world. To say it came natural isn’t the same as it coming easy because with anything that makes lots of money Whiteman and other contenders would buy for her position but all it was smart and despite being jailed in many other atrocities she lived to her eighties and still had the loyalty and companionship she earned over a lifetime. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and although my summary doesn’t do it justice the author definitely does with great research and as you read the book you learned she also has great tenacity because she writes an exhaustively research story about one who not much is known or at least not until now. I especially enjoyed the history of the country the history of the hill people in her great set up of the atmosphere a different Times she spoke of. What a great book a total five star read! I received this book from NetGalley and a publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gabrielle Paluch documents her conversations unveiling a mythological figure of the modern age: Olive Yang, an individual from Kokang, a region in Myanmar, who resisted Chinese occupation, authority, and all gender norms. Olive loved as they lived - quickly, tempestuously, and completely, often with dire consequences.

Paluch is a journalist from Missouri who moved to Myanmar to work for a government-censored newspaper in 2009, where she first heard stories of the infamous Olive Yang. Paluch's retelling of her interviews of Olive's family members can be somewhat confusing, with a cast of characters a mile long, and somewhat inconsistent timelines. I did thoroughly enjoy the rhythm of the storytelling, as it read as if it were an oral retelling, rather than a nonfiction book.

Overall, this book tackles a complex character who is shrouded in mystery, mythology, hero worship, bedevilment by their enemies, and someone who bucked tradition and authority whenever possible. The result is an rollicking yet inconsistent picture given the lack of opportunity to interview the subject themself, as well as a sad lack of primary source documentation (due to circumstances well outside of the control of the author).

This book was thoughtfully provided prior to publication by the publisher. All thoughts are my own.

[Randall Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another case where the author has a seemingly great story to tell, but due to so-so writing and uneven pacing, the story never really grabbed me. Also, I think the author over-reached with the title - Olive Yang definitely never ruled the whole "Golden Triangle." Also, it was hard for me to be sure how much of this story is accurate, as the author seemed to rely on questionable sources - in that they were either Olive's family or people close to Olive, or also people who had an axe to grind with Olive. Often these sources seemed to tell directly contradictory stories, and the author didn't do a very good job of sorting out what was accurate versus what wasn't. At times I also found it hard to follow the narrative - there were a lot of different characters coming and going, and the narrative seemed to hop around quite a bit, and often seemed disjointed. So overall, an interesting story, but not a book I'd recommend due to the poor quality of writing and the questionable accuracy of the narrative.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabrielle Paluch started hearing stories about Olive Yang shortly after she became a journalist in Myanmar/Burma. Supposedly she had controlled an army in the Golden Triangle that raised opium and helped the CIA in arming anti-Communist rebels on China's southern border. This story intrigued Pauch, so she started digging and found some kernels of truth in-bedded in the stories. But the facts lead to a complicated tale of rebellion, gender roles, romance, strained family relationships, and politics that still shape Myanmar/Burma today. Paluch engages the reader with the stories told about Olive Yang as she hunts for the facts behind the stories. An interesting bit of history not often told about a country that keeps popping up in the headlines.

[Nadia Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very excited to learn more about Olive Yang. Olive has such a fascinating story and the author’s extensive research is evident. Unfortunately for me, I did not find getting fully absorbed into the story. Perhaps, this is simply because I was looking for a lighter book but, as I am definitely a mood reader. I do love many nonfiction books but this one just didn’t do it for me. I am sure other readers will actually appreciate these factors as the story holds significant value. Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this audiobook!

[Kristen Dennison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting story, but needed another edit or two. It gets close to a fitting biographic approach for someone whose story is half legend, half reality, and fiercely protected (or reviled) by those around her, but the author feels more centered in the story than the subject at times. To be frank, a thorough edit by someone who grew up in Myanmar and was more familiar with events and the lore may help. But the author’s ability to dig up stories and gain access (you can feel the eye roll at times—in the good way) make for an entertaining read.

[Arevik Heboyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

a fascinating presentation of the not less fascinating life of a woman, who was in the epicenter of changes, risks, murders, substances, and criminal activities. The less you know, the more fascinating the life of this woman will unfold. I sincerely appreciate the hard work and depth of research the author went to discover and carefully present the sides of the story that may not normally be very hard to tell.

[Ex Libris Animus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars because really there's no complaints. I listened as an audiobook because it was not that long and I needed a filler. It was definitely information I knew nothing about before and I always find it enjoyable to learn something new. As a non-fiction writing, I didn't expect it to be a spun yarn for my entertainment, but it was a little drably written in my opinion. But nonetheless, a good read. Possibly something that could have been just as fulfilling in a long article.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to know how to rate this - it's a super fascinating story and the author clearly did some amazing reporting work to track down the myth and facts of Olive Yang's life. That being said parts of this were difficult to follow and it ended quite abruptly without additional commentary on Olive's legacy that I would've found helpful. It was honestly strange.

The podcast Bad Gays did a book review I liked: https://pca.st/podcast/2f2a3a10-26c4-...

[Ashley Dodge · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is OK. It could've been a lot better, but the author insisted on jumping around and a lot of loose ends were never tied up.

The author is no apparently going through a complete nervous breakdown and has been threatening people, including myself, with violence and rape. I just cannot recommend spending any money that might go into her pockets.

[OjoAusana · Rating 3 out of 5]

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Never heard of Olive before or really any of the things talked about in this book so it was a pretty interesting, though short book, would recommend if someone was interested in nonfiction!

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was definitely well researched and well written; however, apart from a few stories that were entertaining and that I enjoyed, it reads very much like a textbook. The person it is written about is fascinating, but the book itself I found a bit dry reading.

[Mij Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but felt more anecdotal than non fiction

[Zeya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blurry to figure out the line between fictional and factual story about a drug lord.

[Arielle Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good story, poor writing

[™]

Dnf around 10% - writing felt a bit clunky and also very much like a white person wrote this who wasn’t 100% aware of the cultural background

[Jeff Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story - although somewhat confusing. TERRIBLE editing in multiple places!