Amazon - In her second powerful and brilliantly conceived fictionalized portrait of a strong and controversial woman intrinsic to Chinese culture, Min continues to fulfill her mission to tell the truth about her homeland, particularly China's long tradition of demonizing women. In Becoming Madame Mao (2000), Min portrays a vilified twentieth-century figure. Here she steps back to the nineteenth century to illuminate the extraordinary life of the Last Empress of China, Tzu Hsi, or Orchid. The official version castigates the empress as a conniving concubine responsible for the collapse of the Ch'ing Dynasty as China came under assault by European powers, but Min considers her a shrewd and courageous survivor, political tactician, and leader worthy of deep respect. Writing with vigor, clarity, and lavish detail, Min tells Orchid's consuming story through the empress' sharp eyes as she rose, through great sacrifice, from abject poverty to the lonely position of fourth concubine to become the besieged emperor's most trusted advisor and mother of his only son and heir. Steeped in the Forbidden City's elaborate mythology, etiquette, and ritual, Min evokes a doomed realm so opulent, complex, and bizarre that it seems as fantastic as an alternative world in science fiction, but Orchid is 100 percent human, and her earthy story is true and significant. This bewitching novel ends with the empress' struggle to secure power after the emperor's death; Min plans to dramatize Orchid's ensuing 46-year rule in the second installment of her insightful, magnetic, and quietly revolutionary resurrection of a remarkable woman.

Sending tomorrow to Rossella05 as part of the Asian Literature Relay @ Bookrelay.com!

RELEASE NOTES:

Sent to Rossella05 as part of the Asian Literature Book Relay.

Arrived this morning, thank you MissyZ. I've never read Anchee Min's books before. As I'm expecting to receive Red Azalea, her first novel, from another bookcrosser I'm going to wait and read that one first, although I've been told Empress Orchid is much better.

Reserved for mady, who is patient enough to wait for the book to become available!

Received this already last week and looking forward to reading it! Thanks a lot for the swap Rossella05!