In San Francisco’s Chinatown circa 1903, slavery, polygamy and rampant prostitution are thriving – just blocks away from the Golden City’s elite.Wealthy and well-connected, Will Firestone enters the mysterious enclave with an eye toward expanding his shipping business. What he finds there will astonish him. With the help of an exotic young widow and a gifted teenage orphan, he embarks on a … journey of self-discovery, where lust, love and tragedy will change his life forever.
more
Part of a series and I could not put it down. Love the characters; I felt their pain and struggles and pain and the end does not disappoint.
I like a good historical romance on occasion. Had lots of history & full of romantic suspense. Twists & turns. I would recommend this book.
I enjoyed the setting of this novel and the characters very much.
Love learning history of Chinese in San Francisco in such a well told story
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found that the characters were realistic and their development into the plot was very well done. The fact that much of this book reflects some of what took place in the early years only reinforces the desire not to allow history repeat itself.
This is a great book. So informative and interesting. The characters are all so original.
I liked that the main character lived her life on her own terms and became a stellar citizen and a considerate person along the way. Maybe a bit too good of a person but everyone around became better for their interaction with her. I’m glad she got her “happily ever after”.
I really enjoyed this book. It was different.
I really enjoyed this book and another book in the same series. Author creates wonderful characters and great plot development.
The Depth of Beauty is the second book in A.B. Michaels’ The Golden City series. It is 1903, San Francisco and Chinatown is teeming with a vice just blocks away from the city’s elties. But Will Firestone sees the district as a potential business market for his shipping enterprise. Dazzled by the exotic young widow from Canton, Will is drawn into the area with a decision that will rock his foundation and lead him down a treacherous path. Country girl, Maddy Culpepper is only fifteen when she’s orphaned and becomes a ward of the Firestone family. Grateful for her new privilege status, she is determined to give back. She decides to help the Chinese immigrant girls in jeopardy, even if it means her own safety and puts her at odds with her guardians and other elites. The tensions are rising between the city’s powerful and the evil foreigners but an horrifying disease will bring them together in ways no one imagined and thrust them together for a fight for their very lives.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the Golden City, The Art of Love, and I looked forward to continuing the series. However, The Depth of Beauty did not have the same impact as the first book. It was slow and dragged the tensions between the city elites and the Chinese immigrants for far too long. The epidemic which plagues the city seems to be an afterthought, although historical, and wasn’t fully flushed out. It was hard to get invested in any of the characters and I was intrigued that the book would focus on San Francisco’s growing Chinese immigrant population, but I felt I wasn’t truly getting a picture of the widespread racism and discriminations against the Chinese immigrants at the time. The relationship between Will and Maddy seemed forced and far-fetched, although the age difference would have been common for the time. There was so much potential that the book presents but couldn’t fulfill all of it. The Depth of Beauty was a disappointment after The Art of Love. I do not recommend The Depth of Beauty.
The Depth of Beauty is available in paperback and eBook.
This is the second book in the series and does not disappoint, read it in one sitting!
SF C Chinatown during the plague epidemic of the early 1900s was interesting to me.
Long boring start that was both far fetched and still easy to predict what would happen next
Nice historical references in the story setting. Good supporting characters. A bit predictable in the plot, but still enjoyable.
A fun read with great character development and historical accuracy.
this was well written with a good plot and characters. I wasn’t too sure I’d like it but Wow!!
Enjoyed the whole series, interesting characters and wanted to find out what happened to members of the family.
A different know of love story
I didn’t know what to expect. The setting and characters were interesting, and the story kept me involved. I will read more by the author.
Everything,,delightful read