1. He lost his legs as he tried to flee the villa on a crowded Bangkok street.

2. The author used his imagination but also drew on real elements from the villa and its gardens.

3. The sprawling villa was initially intended to house the Italian immigrants who arrived to work in the rubber trade.

4. After the Italian migration dried up, the villa housed an art school run by French priests.

5. All 105 guests staying in the villa were evacuated, as were those in the neighboring buildings.