Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts

Monday, June 18, 2012

Giveaway and Review: The Queen's Vow- A Novel of Isabella of Castile by C.W. Gortner

 Pub Date: June 12, 2012 | Ballantine Books | 400p

 It is mid-15th century Spain and with her father, the King, dead Isabella and her brother Alfonso go into exile with their mother.  Their half-brother, Enrique becomes King.  When Isabella and Alfonso become  pre-teens, Enrique sends for them to join him in life at court. 

There, they meet a second cousin of theirs, Fernando of Aragon, who is there visiting.  He walks in the garden with Isabella with loose supervision and announces to her that they will eventually marry.  She's not sure about that but she does like him and enjoys his company.  However, he goes back to Aragon and she doesn't think a lot on it. 
She has too many things to worry about at court.   The two young siblings soon learn how ineffectual a ruler Enrique is and Alfonso is taken by Archbishop Carrillo of Toledo and other to strike up resistance to King Enrique with the goal of crowning Alfonso.  Isabella is accused of treason and is held prisoner. 

For awhile, it looks like Alfonso will succeed in his mission but he eventually dies and Isabella takes his place.  She marries Fernando, even though Enrique forbids it.  However Isabella does make peace with her half-brother and he vows that she will rule when he dies.  He leads a very unhealthy lifestyle and soon dies.
Enrique has a daughter who in all likelihood isn't really his but she also strikes up a fight for the crown.  However, her attempts fail and Isabella becomes Queen.  Though she is Queen she shares her power with Fernando, though she ultimately has to make most decisions on her own.  With hardly any money in the treasury and unrest all over Spain and Europe, will Isabella be able to start the healing process for her realm? 

C.W. Gortner creates a brave Isabella who, like most people is also conflicted.  With all male advisors and a sign of the times she often gives into what she thinks must be done, even though it conflicts her ethics.  It is a time where many countries all around are trying and killing people for heresy and eventual Isabella agrees to it for Spain, which we know as the Spanish Inquisition. 
Gortner paints a vivid picture of what it was like to be there in mid 1400's Spain.  With the stroke of his pen his characters come to life and leap off the page.  This is the third book I have read by C.W. Gortner.  If it wasn't official before, it is now, I am a fan!  I didn't think he could top The Last Queen or The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, but I think he has with A Queen's Vow.  I can hardly wait to see what he comes up with next.

5/5
I was given this book for my honest review.

View the Trailor:

About C.W. Gortner:


C.W. Gortner is the author of The Last Queen, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici and The Tudor Secret. He holds an MFA in Writing with an emphasis in Renaissance Studies from the New College of California.

In his extensive travels to research his books, he has danced a galliard in a Tudor great hall and experienced life in a Spanish castle. His novels have garnered international praise and been translated into thirteen languages to date. He is also a dedicated advocate for animal rights and environmental issues.

He's currently at work on his fourth novel for Ballantine Books, about the early years of Lucrezia Borgia, as well as the third novel in his Tudor series,The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles (US) or Elizabeth's Spymaster (UK).

Half-Spanish by birth, C.W. lives in Northern California.
 

Thanks to Amy Bruno of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and C.W. Gortner, I am giving away one copy of The Queen's Vow.

This giveaway is open to Canada and the U.S. and ends on July 2, 2012.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway



Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:00 AM 21 comments  

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Mini Review: Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Description of Shanghai Girls by Lisa See:

In 1937, Shanghai is the Paris of Asia, a city of great wealth and glamour, the home of millionaires and beggars, gangsters and gamblers, patriots and revolutionaries, artists and warlords. Thanks to the financial security and material comforts provided by their father’s prosperous rickshaw business, twenty-one-year-old Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, are having the time of their lives. Though both sisters wave off authority and tradition, they couldn’t be more different: Pearl is a Dragon sign, strong and stubborn, while May is a true Sheep, adorable and placid. Both are beautiful, modern, and carefree . . . until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth and that in order to repay his debts he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from California to find Chinese brides.

As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, one that will take them through the Chinese countryside, in and out of the clutch of brutal soldiers, and across the Pacific to the shores of America. In Los Angeles they begin a fresh chapter, trying to find love with the strangers they have married, brushing against the seduction of Hollywood, and striving to embrace American life even as they fight against discrimination, brave Communist witch hunts, and find themselves hemmed in by Chinatown’s old ways and rules.

At its heart, Shanghai Girls is a story of sisters: Pearl and May are inseparable best friends who share hopes, dreams, and a deep connection, but like sisters everywhere they also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. They love each other, but each knows exactly where to drive the knife to hurt the other the most. Along the way they face terrible sacrifices, make impossible choices, and confront a devastating, life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel hold fast to who they are–Shanghai girls.

My Review:

I listened to the audio version of this book.  I was really looking forward to it because Snowflower and the Secret Fan made a lasting impression on me.  It was one of those books that have stayed fresh in my mind, even 5 years after I read it.
  
Shanghai Girls was quite a different story from Snowflower but I enjoyed it.  For the most part, I loved the relationship between Pearl and May there were just a few parts that didn't really work for me.  For instance, while they were confined at Angel Island, May gives birth to a girl.  However, she has Pearl fake a pregnancy herself so everyone thinks she is the mother.  Pearl gives birth in the women's shower, right  next to were the women sleep, yet no one heard a peep when May was giving birth.  Next thing you know the other women wake up with a new-born among them.  I just found that unbelievable.

The writing itself was wonderful as was the character development and the love hate relationship between the sisters.  That was very realistic to me, having an older sister myself.  Lisa See really captured the period in history in rich historical detail of the Japanese invasion in China and the Chinese immigrant experience in the United States.

4/5

I borrowed the downloadable version of this audio book from my library.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:01 AM 9 comments  

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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Our Hart: Elegy for a Concubine by Lloyd Lofthouse

Last year, I had the opportunity to review the award winning 'My Splendid Concubine' by Lloyd Lofthouse. I really enjoyed it and told Lloyd that I would love to review his sequel. Luckily, he took me up on and my offer.

'Our Hart' is the continuation of the fictionalized account of the real person, Robert Hart. In 'My Splendid Concubine' he was an interpreter for the British Consulate in China. He fell in love with two concubines, Ayaou and her younger sister Shao-mei. At the end of the book, Shao-mei, was killed by someone out to get revenge on Robert.

In 'our Hart', Robert and Ayaou grieve over Shao-mei and Robert tries to better protect Ayaou. As his career grows, so does his family. Ayaou has children and their eunuch servant, Guan-Jiah becomes a surrogate uncle for the children. Robert became the deputy commissioner of customs for the Ch’ing dynasty in his late 20's. and it kept him away from his family for long stretches at a time. He was indispensible to the dynasty and work for them in to his senior year. They fondly referred to him as "Our Hart".

Our Hart is the story of Robert's lifelong career in China and his relationship with Ayaou and his lifetime servant, Guan-Jiah. Lloyd Lofthouse does a great job pacing the story and keeping the reader engaged. I thought the story got a bit repetitive with Ayaou's whining and questioning Robert's love but other than that it was a great story. Note, that I read an uncorrected proof, so perhaps some of Ayaou's whining was reduced. 

Though 'Our Hart' could be read as a standalone book, I highly recommend that you read 'My Splendid Concubine' first, as it gives you quite a bit of background that makes 'Our Hart' a richer read. I highly recommend both of these books to historical fiction lovers who are interested in Chinese culture.

If you are interested in learning more about the books, Robert Hart, and China, Lloyd Lofthouse has a blog with some great links to explore.  It is called, Learning China.

4/5

Thanks to Paula Krapf and Penny Sansevieri of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. and Lloyd Lofthouse for a copy of this book.

Also reviewed by:

Posted by Teddy Rose at 8:59 PM 11 comments  

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Thursday, June 25, 2009

The Painter from Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein


Stirring Portrait of an Artist

Pan Yuliang never envisioned that her life would turn out like this. When her mother died, she was sent to her uncle's house. He raised her along with the help of a maid. She was to be promised to a man and then be married. That is what her mother's wish for her and a promise from her uncle.
However, her uncle had a drug habit and ran out of money. He had to get drugs somehow, so he sold Yuliang into prostitution at the age of 14.

She was brought to "The Hall of Eternal Splendor" and was taught the ways of seduction and "bed business."

She was told to seduce the new inspector, Pan Zanhua. This was very important so that he could be kept in line and continue turning a blind eye, as the old inspector did. However, it did not work out that way. He could not be bought. He didn't fall for the hook as much as he was attracted to Yuliang.

Yuliang knew her fate. "Grandmother," the madam would beat her unmercifully. Pan Zanhua saw she was crying and he got her to tell him the truth. Zanhua rescued her from her fate and took her in as his concubine.

Zanhua really believed in equality and gave Yuliang an education. She became fascinated with art and started sketching. As her career as an artist took off both her and Zanhua become torn between her success and their love for each other.

Pan Yuliang was a real person, a famous artist. This book of historical fiction fills in what parts of her life may have been like. Jennifer cody Epstein really did her research and paints a colourful portrait of the life of Pan Yaliang. I felt like I was there as a witness to everything she endured and her triumph as an artist. The characters are believable and the writing is beautiful and richly textured.

This books is a real page turner and kept me up into the wee hours of the morning. I just couldn't put it down! I cannot recommend this book high enough. It does not disappoint!

5/5

Thanks to Lisa with TLC Book Tours for inviting me to participate in this book tour!

Baby Arms by Pan Yuliang

Here is the line-up for other stops on the book tour:

Tuesday, June 2nd: The Literate Housewife Review
Wednesday, June 3rd: Book-a-Rama
Thursday, June 4th: Book Nut
Monday, June 8th: She is Too Fond of Books
Tuesday, June 9th: S. Krishna’s Books
Wednesday, June 10th: Becky’s Book Reviews
Thursday, June 11th: Redlady’s Reading Room
Monday, June 15th: Dolce Bellezza
Tuesday, June 16th: Peeking Between the Pages
Wednesday, June 17th: A Work in Progress
Monday, June 22nd: Beth Fish Reads
Tuesday, June 23rd: Do They Have Salsa in China?
Wednesday, June 24th: Bookworm with a View
Thursday, June 25th: So Many Precious Books, So Little Time
Friday, June 26th: Savvy Verse and Wit
Monday, June 29th: Nerd’s Eye View
Tuesday, June 30th: Pop Culture Junkie

Posted by Teddy Rose at 5:39 PM 14 comments  

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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

My Splendid Concubine by Lloyd Lofthouse

Splendid Novel

This book is a fictionalized account of Robert Hart who was known as the 'Godfather of China's modernism'. Hart was born and raised in Ireland . In 1854 we went to China to work for the British Consulate as an interpreter.

Robert Hart was set on making up for his days of drinking and womanizing in Ireland. He went to China to prove himself and "grow up." When faced with the possibility of getting a concubine for himself, he felt quite conflicted. However, it was what men did in China, even most of the "foreign devils". He got a Chinese instructor and immersed himself in Chinese customs and culture.

He did end up getting two concubines, his first year in China. Ayaou and her younger sister Shao-mei. He taught Ayaou and Shao-mei how to read and enjoyed life with them both.
When he first met Ayaou, it was love at first site. He planned to buy her from her father but Ward, an American Opium smuggler, beat him to it. He was devastated and set out to rescue her from Ward, who is known for his mistreatment of his concubines. Robert does end up with Ayaou but with tragic consequences.

It took Lloyd Lofthouse close to 9 years to research and write this wonderful book. The pages kept on turning late into the night. This novel mostly covers Robert Hart's life in China for his first year. He did eventually move on from the British Consulate and became Inspector General of Chinese Mandarin Customs, the Senior Guardian of the Heir Apparent of the Ch'ing dynasty, and the chief adviser for the Emperor.

My only complaint is that I would have liked to have learned more about Hart and how he became so important to China. I also would have liked to know what finally happened to Ayaou. This book is only 250 pages and I wish that it would have been long enough to touch on these important details. Could there be a book II in the works? I hope so!

I highly recommend this book! Be forewarned, there are some juicy sex scenes in this book. If that kind of thing bothers you, don't read this book.

4/5

Thanks so much to Lloyd Lofthouse for sending me his book! Lloyd, if there is going to be a sequel, please send it my way!

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:43 PM 12 comments  

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Thursday, January 8, 2009

Sweet Mandarin by Helen Tse


True Historical Family Saga


When Cambridge educated lawyer Helen Tse decided to give up her career to go back to her roots and open up a Chinese restaurant with her two sisters, her elders thought she was nuts. Her grandmother and mother work hard so that Helen and her sister's could all get good educations and not have the worries and work that a restaurant owner has. Lily, her grandmother and Mabel, her mother should know, they both had owned restaurants.

Before deciding to open the restaurant, Helen decided to take a journey back in time to discover her family history. Her great grandfather had a soy sauce business in China. He moved his family from a poor country village to the hustle and bustle of city life in Hong Kong. Not long after he died and the family had to find a way to make survive. Lily, just a child herself takes a job as an amah for a British family. An amah takes care of children.

Lily eventually married and had children herself, but her husband left her. She continued as an amah while her mother took care of her children. She befriends the family she was working for and got an invitation to move with them to England. This invitation didn't include her children, so what was she to do? What would you do?

I won't tell you anymore for risk of spoilers.

When I first read the description of the book it intrigued me but at the same time had the potential to be saccharin sweet. This was not the case. This a true multi generational family saga that is not to be missed. It got off to a bit of a slow start but after a short while, Helen Tse had me turning the pages until the end. This is an inspiring story that is not syrupy sweet.

4/5

Thanks to St. Martin's Press send my a copy of this book!

Also reviewed by:

Posted by Teddy Rose at 4:57 PM 17 comments  

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