A USA Today Bestseller!”The Girl Who Wrote in Silk is a beautiful story that brought me to tears more than once, and was a testament to the endurance of the human spirit and the human heart. A powerful debut that proves the threads that interweave our lives can withstand time and any tide, and bind our hearts forever.”-Susanna Kearsley, New York Times bestselling authorInspired by true events, … Times bestselling author
Inspired by true events, Kelli Estes’s brilliant and atmospheric novel serves as a poignant tale of two women determined to do the right thing, and the power of our own stories.
The smallest items can hold centuries of secrets…
Inara Erickson is exploring her deceased aunt’s island estate when she finds an elaborately stitched piece of fabric hidden in the house. As she peels back layer upon layer of the secrets it holds, Inara’s life becomes interwoven with that of Mei Lein, a young Chinese girl mysteriously driven from her home a century before. Through the stories Mei Lein tells in silk, Inara uncovers a tragic truth that will shake her family to its core — and force her to make an impossible choice.
“A touching and tender story about discovering the past to bring peace to the present.”— Duncan Jepson, author of All the Flowers in Shanghai
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Interesting plot, nicely developed with a few twists. Good historical details. Likeable characters.
Kept me entertained until the end!
A mesmerizing story, fabulously written and nicely narrated about a woman who finds a swatch of stitched fabric of Chinese origin in her aunt’s estate. The story begins with Mei Ling in the late 1800s, who is rescued from the freezing waters off the coast of Washington, and alternates with a modern day woman whose family owns a shipping company, and who has aspirations of converting her aunt’s estate into a boutique hotel. While the feasibility of the story was quite a stretch, it was still beautiful and heart wrenching, well paced, and woven with fascinating bits of history.
A beautiful story that may bring tears to your eyes.
The writer is very original in all her writing of this book. It was informative about the lives of Chinese people during the 1800’s. Chinese embroidery, clothing and customs. A very good historical novel.
One of my favorite books on Bookbub!
Very well written. Interesting perspective during time when Chinese immigrants mistreated. Like how she wrote in the past vs the present.
Great read. The characters were real and it kept me engaged.
This was a very different but very good book!
Offers a glimpse into the past and our nations racial and cultural prejudices while endearing us to the plight of main character’s story of loss and survival.
Well written and very hard to put down!! Excellent story.
Kelli Estes, Thank you!
This story had gripped me from page one. I rarely give a five star review but his novel deserves each and every one. Every emotion a woman can feel was brought out in me through these pages. This story touched on every single one.
So moving, filled with the depth of the human experience in every way.
It leaves the reader with a true feeling of “being there”, as if the characters are a part of you and vice-versa.
A profound read you will embrace and not want to let go of. A graceful flow between past and present of two women; a 19th Century Chinese-American (Mei Lien) a recent college graduate (Inara) and the centuries old secret that binds them as a tragic truth is discovered.
Set on Orcas Island in Puget Sound, Seattle, this Historical Fiction is raw, intriguing, insightful and yes, it blends beautifully in its historical knowledge and contemporary drama as one. Inspired by true events, Kelli Estes has accomplished a read I truly believe no one will be disappointed in.
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I learned a lot about the treatment of the Chinese during that time period. Sad time. But it was a great love story of her husband’s love for her and her love for him and her son. Then adding the modern day investigation of their history. Beautifully written.
Loved this book! Everyone in my book club also enjoyed it. The cruelty that we as humans inflict on others out of ignorance seems to always happen in every generation. Historical,
informative and a wonderful read.
Kelli Estes’s debut novel, “The Girl Who Wrote in Silk”, is mind-blowing, and the BEST first book I have ever read!!!!!
“The Girl Who Wrote in Silk” is the story of Mei Lein a Chinese woman born in the United States who survived the Seattle Riot of 1886, and Inara Erickson a current day descendant of Duncan Cambell who persecuted Mei Lein her entire life. This story is captivating from cover to cover. The back and forth from the 1800s to modern day actually enhanced rather than distracted from the story as Inara and David Chin brought-to-light Mei Lein’s life which she embroidered on a silk dragon robe for her son.
Kelli’s ability to bring out every possible emotion a human being could experience in a book is incredible that will keep you turning the pages. As a zealous reader I can recommend to you that this is a marvelous book you do not want to miss. I actually finished “The Girl Who Wrote in Silk” two weeks ago but was so affected by the story that I could not write a review or start reading another book. Kelli, I give you a standing ovation for a job well done, and can’t wait to read your next book!
I received a complimentary copy of “The Girl Who Wrote in Silk” by Kelli Estes from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A great blending of stories. From the 1800s and the present time the book is a very enjoyable historical fiction story about the plight of Chinese immigrants in western US.
Easy to read literary fiction. Ending is a bit “Hollywood”, but otherwise a good read.
Simply put….. Loved it!!
Good historical fiction about a part of history with the Chinese in the Northwestern United States I was unaware had happened.
Ft his book opened my eyes to an entirely new historic. Era for Japanese immigrants in the northwest part of the USA .
I liked the historical setting