When I was a child, I thought my destiny was to live and die on the banks of the Xiangjiang River as my family had done for generations. I never imagined that my life would lead me to the Forbidden City and the court of China’s last Empress.Born in the middle of nowhere, Yaqian, a little embroidery girl from Hunan Province, finds her way to the imperial court, a place of intrigue, desire, and … desire, and treachery. From the bed of an Emperor, the heart of a Prince, and the right side of an Empress, Yaqian weaves her way through the most turbulent decades of China’s history and witnesses the fall of the Qing Dynasty.
Fans of Amy Tan, Lisa See, Anchee Min, and Pearl S. Buck are sure to love this debut novel by Amanda Roberts. This richly descriptive and painstakingly researched novel brings the opulence of the Qing Court to life as Yaqian and Empress Cixi’s lives intertwine over six decades.
AMANDA ROBERTS is a writer, editor, and teacher who has been living in China since 2010. Amanda has an MA in English from the University of Central Missouri. While in college she also studied Chinese language and history. She has been published in magazines, newspapers, and anthologies around the world and she regularly contributes to numerous blogs. She is the author of the Crazy Dumplings series of cookbooks and is a well-known blogger in China. Amanda can be found all over the Internet, but her home is TwoAmericansinChina.com.
RED EMPRESS PUBLISHING is a full-service publisher offering traditional and new services for their authors to help them succeed and stand out in an ever-changing market. Red Empress Publishing is actively seeking submissions by women and people of color as part of the company’s philosophy of diversity and inclusion. They are currently seeking submissions in all genres of fiction but especially romance, mystery, fantasy, and historical fiction. Authors can submit their books and request more information on Red Empress Publishing’s official website http://redempresspublishing.com. Be sure to also follow Red Empress Publishing on Facebook and Twitter for all their latest news and releases.
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For a book written by a westerner, she did a pretty thorough research on events and traditions. Good read.
Very good book interesting
Yes, it is yet another book about the Empress Cixi. However, the point of view is unique.
Great insight into the life of a Chinese girl living in a Manchu world. Good story.
The beginning of the book was wonderfully detailed and personal. Towards the end it became more of a laundry list of historical events with little information on the life of the main characters.
Loved the in depth story around the life of Dowager Empress Cixi. Very entertaining and enlightening about some of Chinese history and culture. The story focuses on the women and their relationships. If you like historical fiction and Chinese history this is a great book.
Good novel based on historical facts/background.
Enjoyable read. Action and plot continued to move forward but the characters were a bit one dimensional. Could have also benefited from better proofreading (“to” instead of “too several times – plus other little English language transgressions. Spellcheck doesn’t catch everything.) That is the only reason I didn’t give this a 5 star rating. Would like to read others by the author.
Loved the journey of this story, with characters who sucked me into the story and kept me turning the pages. I’d been off of historical fiction for awhile, but this one brought me right back home, sinking me into the heart of the Qing dynasty and tugging me along a great ride that you’re sure to love. If you’re a historical fiction fan, pick this one up!
Too lightweight
While the subject matter could have been fascinating, the characters never really got off the ground with me. Comparing it to anything Lisa See has written was not cool at all since See’s characters are”cant put it down” types. I was disappointed.