Manchu Palaces

by Jeanne Larsen

At the midpoint of the Manchus' long sway over the largest empire in China's history, Lotus stands reluctantly on the brink of womanhood. Schooled in painting and music in the hope of securing a place in the imperial palaces of Beijing's Forbidden City, Lotus learns other arts from her father's concubine that are at odds wit the teachings of straitlaced Confucian scholars. Meanwhile, her lively, book-loving cousin prepares herself for the difficult life of a wife and daughter-in-law, seeking a suitable husband who isn't put off by the smallpox scars that mar her face.
As the cousins wend their way through the seductive world of the senses, a second tale, one of spiritual pilgrimage, Lotus's beloved mother has died, and her spirit wanders between the realms, struggling to return to life in the flesh. While Lotus explores the mysteries of sex and seeks an end to her mourning, her mother refuses to learn the lessons of the gods and goddesses.

Hardcover

First published October 1, 1996

Reviews

[Alley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible book that transports you into another culture in another time. Jeanne was my advisor during my undergrad years and was amazing in every aspect of what she did. Her novels, essay and poems are no exception.

[KitCat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty cool way to tell a story. All the information is shared through stories, myths, and snippets of "historical documents".

[Jodi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh! Struggled to get into this book. The author did a lot of research but I think she was almost too ambitious with too many story lines going on for me to really care about the plight of Lotus. This free shelf book from the library will be returned there without a doubt!