Winner of the Independent Publishers Book Awards (Gold Medal, Romance)
Set in China in the late 1800’s, The Secret Language of Women tells the story of star-crossed lovers, Zhou Bin Lian, a Eurasian healer, and Giacomo Scimenti, an Italian sailor, driven apart by the Boxer Rebellion. When Lian is seventeen years old, she accompanies her Swiss father, Dr. Gianluca Brasolin, fluent in Italian, to … Gianluca Brasolin, fluent in Italian, to tend the Italian ambassador, at the Summer Palace of Empress Dowager, where she meets and falls in love with Giacomo.
Through voyage and adventure, their love intensifies, but soon is severed by Lian’s dutiful promise as the wife to another. Forbidden from pursuing her chosen profession as a healer, and despised because she does not have bound feet, she is forced to work in a cloisonné factory while her in-laws raise her daughter, Ya Chen. It is in Nushu, the women’s secret writing, that she chronicles her life and her hopes for the future.
Rebelling against the life forced upon her, she empowers herself to act out against the injustice and becomes the master of her own destiny. But her quest for freedom comes at a costly price: The life of someone close to her, lost in a raging typhoon, a grueling journey to the Yun-kang Caves, and a desperate search for beauty and love in the midst of brutality.
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This is an epic love story set in China during the Boxer Rebellion. The author’s research shines through in every paragraph with realistic and fascinating detail. When Lian falls for Giacomo, little does she realise their love must survive such a long separation. Giacomo, an Italian sailor, must board his ship the Leopardo, and Lian must marry her arranged companion Lu, an uninspiring man, and one whose parents are determined to make all the decisions for Lian and her children.
There is heartbreak and tragedy, as the reader lives with them through typhoons and civil unrest. The Secret Language of the title is Nushu, taught to Lian by her mother, and the letters to Giacomo written in this language are poetic insights into Lian’s life. If you like a novel full of the scents and sounds of old China, along with a great love story, this is a book you will easily get lost in. It’s definitely a keeper for me and I will be reading the rest of the series.
Nina Romano’s The Secret Language of Women is the first of her historical romance Wayfarer Trilogy. Historical Romance isn’t a genre I normally pay attention to, but I’ve read Romano’s The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley, and I discovered that her contributions to the genre were stories that were at once interesting, realistic, and enlightening. So, I decided to plunge in again, and The Secret Language of Women proved to be a fascinating, and at times an exciting, glimpse into late Eighteenth-Century China as it traced the trials of two young lovers separated by culture and insurrection.
Going in I didn’t know much about Chinese history, fashion, or culture, but I do now. There is much to learn about the era and the country, and Romano turns out to be a good teacher. The most important thing for me was that I felt as though I was there in late Eighteenth-Century China during the Boxer Rebellion. The descriptions are so detailed, I experienced the sight, sound, smells, and emotions of the time and place. I know now what it is like to live in fear of the insurgents, to deal with forced separation from your one true love, and what it takes to adapt and survive the reality you must face.
Only a skilled technician, a meticulous researcher, and an exceptional storyteller can pull that off. Nina Romano is all of those.
The fact that a secret language, Nushu, used exclusively by women even exists is intriguing in its own right. And by using this secret language as a device, Romano brings considerable insights and emotional detail into the world as seen through the eyes of Lian, a strong young woman who is herself, something of an outcast among the traditional Chinese culture. Lian is a healer, mother, and a force to be reckoned with. It’s Lian who you’ll remember long after you’ve turned the last page of the novel.
But it’s the love story that’s at the center of the tale, and that’s what pulls you in and keeps you reading from beginning to end. The idea of love-at-first-sight may well be a trope of romances, but what Lian and Giacomo experience is believable from the outset. And I have to admit I found myself rooting for them all the way.
I highly recommend The Secret Language of Women to anyone, even if you don’t normally read historical romances. Trust me, it’s well worth it.
This is a one of those rare books that when you finish it, you don’t want to leave it and start the next. You want to savor it some more and go back and relive it all over again. It’s also the type of book that makes it almost impossible to review, in that I could never do it justice with my lack of ability to express how perfect it really is.
Giacomo Scimenti is an Italian sailor stationed in China in the late 1890’s. Giacomo is the chief steward and cook aboard the gunship Leopardo. While standing as honor guard at The Summer Palace in Peking, he sees the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen…
Zhou Bin Lian is the only daughter from the marriage of a Swiss doctor and a Chinese woman. Now a widower Lian’s father has set up a practice in southern Peking. Fluent in both Mandarin and Italian he is called to The Summer Palace to treat the Italian Ambassador who has fallen ill, bringing Lian as his assistant. Little does Lian know that she will meet the love of her life…
This is an extremely well written book. I’m truly in awe! Right from the start Ms. Romano enchanted me with her writing, she didn’t tell me a story she showed it to me. I felt drawn into the story and had a hard time putting it down throughout the day. The descriptions from the story, the characters, the culture, the history, even the food are richly detailed. I could easily see this book and series made into a movie. It was truly an emotional experience to read Giacomo and Lian’s love story, although it was so much more than just a love story…. I won’t go into any more detail as this story has to be experienced firsthand. It truly is a unique reading experience and one I plan on enjoying and revisiting for years to come.
This was the first book I’ve had the pleasure of reading from author Nina Romano but it most definitely will not be the last. Ms. Romano has become an auto buy for me & I highly recommend this book! If I could, I’d easily give it 10 stars!
The Secret Language of Women by Nina Romano is a tale of two extremes. On the one hand there is the sweet, sensual and unrestrained explosion of passion of two lovers joined spirit, body and soul and who would travel to the end of time itself to be in each other’s arms; and on the other hand, the stark, icy indifference of a man who beats and admonishes his wife and treats her as chattel.
The story has an interesting structure. It is told in first person from the heroine, Lian’s perspective and translated from her journals and diaries written in Nüshu – a unique dialogue used by women in Jiangyong County in the Southern Chinese province of Hunan. It is from this unique language the book derives its name, but more importantly carries its own powerful voice. The story also includes her lover, Giacomo’s perspective; however, this is given a third person point of view. There are other interesting supporting characters, including Ping, Lian’s laotong and Bulldog, Giacomo’s shipmate, both of whom, do their best to help the lovers throughout the book.
The initial calling to the Summer Palace where Lian first meets Giacomo and the description of her journey through Peking to get there is beautifully described and foreshadows the events in the story. On the one hand, the “garbage-littered streets” symbolise her fears of a loveless marriage to Lu whereas the Gingko trees in the parks are symbolic of Lian’s hope for a happy future with Giacomo. The Summer Palace is stunningly portrayed in its splendour and from her first-person perspective, Lian relates how whilst she respects her Empress, she asks the question why did the Empress and her court not “assist the poor and sick”? The question is posed alongside a rich, powerful metaphor describing a “full-faced, fat moon beaming down and a sky draped with candle-lit stars”. I was also really impressed with the powerful word play of the Empress’s fear of “foreign legions”.
Set in the run up to the Chinese Boxer Rebellion at the end of the nineteenth century and in a world very different to the one we know today, events quickly overtake the star-crossed lovers and Giacomo is compelled to leave Lian to her fateful arranged marriage, shattering her dreams of following in her father’s footsteps as a healer. It poses a powerful and potent question as to how far would you or anyone else go to be with their heart’s one true desire.
In conclusion, I have no hesitation recommending this book – not just because it is a really good story of lost love and the lengths lovers will go to reunite, but also because of the rich and skilful use of English language and how it so clearly demonstrates, even in the worst of situations we can still see the best in people. Nina has put a plot together with twists and turns at every juncture and the simmering tensions of rebellion in the background serve to heighten the tension as well as draw the reader into the story. This is a real page turner and an absolute must read to while away those sunny days on the beach or those long winter nights by a roaring log fire with a mug of hot chocolate. Enjoy!
An epic historical romance set in early 1800s China that centers on a young, bi-racial girl named Lian, who wants to be a doctor, and an Italian sailor named Giacomo. In The Secret Language of Women (Book 1 of The Wayfarer Trilogy), Nina Romano has outdone herself. This superbly rendered tale portrays a rich time in history through elegant prose, literally breathing life into characters and settings. Add to that, layers of culture, mystery, and political intrigue. It is easy to get caught up in Lian and Giacomo’s dramatic, and sometimes heartbreaking, adventure, which is best described in Nina’s own words as a story about “the search for beauty and love in the midst of brutality.”
I’ve only found a handful of Historical Fiction that I found captures the authenticity behind the fact that the work, characters, events, etc are made up in the author’s head, while using historical fact as a backdrop. This novel reads like a fanciful historical look into a real person’s life.
Being Italian myself, I was drawn into the era and the morals and propriety, along with familial obligations that were obstacles for these star-crossed lovers. The author develops characters that you become attached to and you find yourself cheering them on even if their tale ends is heartache.
This is a well-rounded series and I cannot wait to go on to Book 2
What a beautiful and heart-rendering historical novel. This is a story about a young woman named Lian, who is of Chinese and European heritage. It’s set in China at the end of the nineteenth century, at a time of great tension between the Empress Cixi and foreign powers in China. Like her mother’s country, Lian is being pulled between two worlds. Her grandmother has arranged a marriage for her, but that doesn’t interest Lian because she wants to be a healer like her doctor father. On a medical call to the royal palace, Lian’s future changes when she meets the handsome Giacomo.
Aside from the romance and political struggles, writing also plays a strong role in this story. Women in China had their own script, called Nushu, that men couldn’t read. Although Lian is literate in more than one language, this woman’s script is important here. I loved the author’s incorporation of this real script into the story very much like Lisa See in “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.” Those who like historical fiction and historical romance (especially located in the East) will enjoy this novel.
This beautiful love story set in war-torn China kept me reading way past bedtime. The development of characters is wonderful – my heart broke for the lovers and their fate. The historical details of China are very well researched and presented in a way that brings the story to life.
I highly recommend this excellent historical fiction read.
I’m nearly at a loss for words as I finish reading this novel. It was heartwarming, emotional, and bittersweet! The writing was poetic and I am in awe for the author’s knowledge of the era in which this book was set. I have no choice but to carry on to the next installment in this series as I can’t bare to let the story end so soon. This is a very contemplative novel, reaching depths that will leave you speechless. I am so happy to have had the pleasure of reading it, and look forward to the next book! So well done!
Here is a book that is far more than a mere romance. Romano’s characters share so much of human nature and it’s displayed superbly: love, frailty, grief, loathing, and hope. There’s definitely an underlying message of what the world could be like, if racism and cultural differences could be set aside.
Here is a manuscript that should be a screenplay, as well. It’s epic and consuming, offering a realistic view of life in late 19th century China, through the eyes of two young people who are not accepted because of cultural differences. Their initial relationship, torn asunder by duty and coming of age, turns into a journey of self-growth and a search to find one another again, against all odds.
This is historical fiction, bordering on literary fiction, due to the depth of character and plot that are impressive and so well-played. Romano has a deep understanding of Chinese and Sicilian culture and NONE of it is wasted here. When I had opportunity to read this book, I knew nothing about the Boxer Rebellion. However, you don’t have to, for in Romano’s hands, you’ll be led along as Giacomo is, along coastal China’s broad expanse through a memorable read.
I highly recommend this novel and award it a phenomenal FIVE STARS!
An excellent story told in an original voice. I highly recommend this novel.
An extraordinary novel of love and self-forgiveness
‘The Secret Language of Women’ by Nina Romano is an exceptional piece of historical fiction. Ms. Romano’s exceptionally gifted writing style, and her use of language, knowledge of history, exquisite descriptions and profound dialogue combine for a most remarkable read. I was stunned by this astonishing novel, ‘The Secret Language of Woman’. And I am still am!
The novel takes place before and during The Boxer Rebellion in China. Ms. Romano deftly brings this history into actuality with her novel’s characters, conflicts and choices. There is adventure, mystery, political tensions, the examination of cultures and belief systems and amidst all of this there is surrender to love, forgiveness and the realization that the course that life takes is sometimes larger than what we see.
Immediately within pages of starting ‘The Secret Language of Women’, I was reminded of the book “Memoirs of a Geisha’ because of Ms. Romano’s ability to convey through her writing a rich, palpable and sensual narrative. This sensual narrative is found in her descriptions of the simplest, and yet, most profound things in life: trees, scents, poetry, gazes of love, as well as looks of condemnation and scorn, and all the while Ms. Romano conveys an overwhelming sense of resilience and surrender to one’s circumstance.
This is an extraordinary book and piece of writing. Amazing!
The Secret Language of Women by Nina Romano lives up to the promise of its intriguing title. This is an epic tale, as large and encompassing and treacherous as Homer’s The Odyssey, but with more heart and heartache. It’s rich with history, using China in the late 1800s as a backdrop, which adds additional drama to the story of a mixed-race girl apprenticing with her Swiss doctor father.
Lian loves her widower father and the gift of knowledge he has given her. Even though he’s a “foreign devil” practicing a blend of western and Chinese medicine, his services are much in demand. He trains his daughter so that she may one day become a doctor in her own right.
When he is called upon by the Empress Dowager to treat the Italian Ambassador at her summer palace, he brings Lian as his assistant. Though she is confident in her skills and knowledge, she is very insecure about her “ugly, unbound feet” and her green eyes, which singles her out as impure. Even the Empress Dowager notices her differences, stating she would be quite beautiful if it weren’t for those imperfections.
The course of Lian’s life is altered by this trip to the palace, not by witnessing life in that rarified environment, but by the brazen yet in some ways innocent kiss by an Italian sailor. Called on to care for the ambassador at the Italian embassy, Lian encounters her handsome sailor, Giacomo. Thrown together for the duration of the ambassador’s illness, a genuine and passionate love grows.
There are many forces standing in way of this new love: the Italian navy, Lian’s arranged marriage, and the uprising of Boxer forces determined to rid China of foreigners, to name a few. With the death of her beloved father, Lian’s life is no longer her own. But it’s not only for herself that she struggles to be free and pursue a career as a doctor. She goes to desperate lengths to escape and reunite with her one true love.
And there the real story begins.
Secret Language is a powerfully told saga, rich with emotion and redolent in the history and customs of a country I knew so little about. I now feel I’ve been given a peek at that culture and I feel less intimidated and more eager to learn about it. This book does what the best novels do: it opens up a new world while illustrating life’s complexities. I’m really looking forward to the next journey in the Wayfarer series!
This historical novel is set in China during the Boxer Rebellion. It’s a very violent time in China for foreigners, Christians, and imperialists who are the targets of the Boxer fighters. Zhou Bin Lian is only seventeen years old at the beginning of the story. She’s the daughter of a Chinese mother and Swiss father. Her eyes are green and her feet are unbound. Her mixed heritage and physical features set her apart from her fellow countrymen.
Lian doesn’t fit the description of what a proper Chinese woman of her time should be. When I was reading about Lian’s unbound feet, and how her parents had spared her the pain of such a cruel practice, I had a thought. The pain of having her feet bound was the price a woman faced to fit into society. The price of unbound feet was devastating and painful too. Lian’s options are severely limited when it comes to marriage and her place in the world. At only seventeen, she is already facing a very difficult life.
It’s at this tender age that Lian meets Giacomo Scimenti, an Italian sailor. They fall deeply in love. However, with Giacomo having to return to his ship and his duties and Lian’s father falling ill and dying, they soon lose contact with each other. What doesn’t change is the love they continue to share throughout the story. It’s the heartfelt touchstone that propels their lives from that day forward. Even when they aren’t able to be together physically, Lian’s love for Giacomo is the guiding light that informs her thoughts, her response to those around her, and the actions she takes. For good or ill, she is driven by that love.
The historical setting, with all of its rich diversity, is beautifully portrayed by the author, Nina Romano. In the middle of it all, she weaves a lasting, poignant tale about Lian’s struggles to survive while holding on to her love for Giacomo. Love is the enduring story that comes through, a binding agent between Lian and Giacomo that we feel goes beyond their Earthly lives.
I couldn’t put the book down – the story flowed like the rugged sea; ebb and flow, peak and trough. Highly recommend.
The words read like poetry flowing like music through your soul. This historical romantic tragedy is full of beauty. Nina Romano creates visual images with her descriptions and toys with the reader’s emotions. This was a roller coaster journey through a chaotic time in China’s history.
The Secret Language of Women by Nina Romano is hands down the best book I’ve read in a long time—maybe ever. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. It’s a story of great love and great loss, and of impossible courage. It’s Zhou Bin Lian’s life journey to find herself and her soulmate.
The story is set in China in the late 1800’s when women had no rights and no independence. Marriages were arranged, feet were bound, and women did as they were told. It was a time of great strife, with Boxer Rebellions seeking to rid China of foreigners and Christianity.
Lian is the daughter of an unlikely pairing—a Swiss doctor and a beautiful Chinese woman. Her father teachers her to be a healer, an occupation she loves even though it is unthinkable for a woman to become a doctor in those times. When Lian accompanies her father to the Summer Palace of Empress Dowager, she meets and falls madly in love with an Italian sailor, Giacomo Scimenti.
Lian and Giacomo’s love is fierce and passionate, their lovemaking hot and intense. But their flame is extinguished way too quickly when circumstances cruelly tear them apart. Lian does what she must to care for herself and her daughter even as she yearns to reunite with the man whose love she feels deep in her soul.
She finds the courage to flee a toxic situation and to search for her true love. As the two star-crossed lovers search for one other, one by land and one by sea, they experience major trials and tribulations, but through it all, their love endures. Lian documents her life journey in Nüshu, the secret language she learned from her mother. She writes for Giacomo, and at times her writing keeps her going.
The story is so beautifully written, it’s almost poetic. It’s rife with history and tradition, symbolism and wisdom. The story is both uplifting and tragic. In the end, it reminds us that true love does indeed exist, to appreciate the non-tangible things that matter most in life, and as Giacomo so eloquently stated, that “in life we must risk to get what we most want.”
The Secret Language of Women is a highly recommended story for readers of any genre looking for an inspiring and beautifully written story.
Such an unusual and exotic story. What I loved most about the novel was the way rich aspects of both Sicilian and Chinese culture are interwoven into the story and the way two very different people realized they are kindred spirits.