Her Lotus Year: China, the Roaring Twenties, and the Making of Wallis Simpson

by Paul French

New York Times bestselling author Paul French examines a controversial and revealing period in the early life of the legendary Wallis, Duchess of Windsor–her one year in China.

Before she was the Duchess of Windsor, Bessie Wallis Warfield was Mrs. Wallis Spencer, wife of Earl “Win” Spencer, a US Navy aviator. From humble beginnings in Baltimore, she rose to marry a man who gave up his throne for her. But what made Wallis Spencer, Navy Wife, the woman who could become the Duchess of Windsor? The answers lie in her one-year sojourn in China.

In her memoirs, Wallis described her time in China as her “Lotus Year,” referring to Homer’s Lotus Eaters, a group living in a state of dreamy forgetfulness, never to return home. Though faced with challenges, Wallis came to appreciate traditional Chinese aesthetics. China molded her in terms of her style and provided her with friendships that lasted a lifetime. But that “Lotus Year” would also later be used to damn her in the eyes of the British Establishment.

The British government’s supposed “China Dossier” of Wallis’s rumored amorous and immoral activities in the Far East was a damning concoction, portraying her as sordid, debauched, influenced by foreign agents, and unfit to marry a king. Instead, French, an award-winning China historian, reveals Wallis Warfield Spencer as a woman of tremendous courage who may have acted as a courier for the US government, undertaking dangerous undercover diplomatic missions in a China torn by civil war.

Her Lotus Year is an untold story in the colorful life of a woman too often maligned by history.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, China, Asia, Audiobook, Biography Memoir

310 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 19, 2024

About the author

Paul French has been based in Shanghai for many years as Chief China Representative of research and analysis consultancy Access Asia. He is a regular commentator of China and North East Asia on the international media. He is the author of a number of previous books including the well-received North Korea: The Paranoid Pensinsula for Zed Books.

Reviews

[Christy fictional_traits · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit to never thinking much of Wallis Simpson. I confess, I’d bought into the public portrayal of her being ‘that woman’: crass, double divorcee who, once she lured Edward to her web, she dominated and manipulated the poor sap….So, I was drawn to this book to learn more about this oddly, individual lady, who would have been queen if the public allowed it.

Her Lotus Year, follows Simpson from her time in Hong Kong with her soon to be ex-first husband, up the coast to Shanghai and finally to Peking (Beijing). Along the way French addresses and debunks many of the falsehoods trumped up by the British in order to malign her character. He provides interesting possible points on how events could have been embellished and misconstrued, as well as theories on how Simpson supported herself after leaving her husband.

This book is very readable and full of evocative descriptions, depicting how Simpson may have been so captivated by a place- despite the political turmoil, threat of kidnapping and continued fighting amongst vying warlords. Although I didn’t feel that I got to know more about Wallis Simpson per se, I did learn more about how embellished and pervasive the hate campaign was against her - much of the misinformation stemming from this exotic year. I also loved reading more about this time in China’s history - between the two world wars.

[Sherwood Smith]

I've never really been interested in Wallis Simpson or her duke--they always sounded like a couple of dull stuffed shirts with a taste for whining and moaning about their lot while expecting the world to support them in the lifestyle they thought they deserved. My indifference turned to contempt when I read a couple of well-researched histories that made it clear that they both were quite willing to deal with Hitler in order to assure their eventual securing of the English throne. Wallis wanted to be Queen of England, with all the jewels, and did her damndest to get there.

But I hadn't known she'd spent time in China during the Republican era, when warlords were busy carving up China while Europeans on the make disported in the coastal cities, giving them a glitteringly raffish name.

This bio was quite disappointing as a biography. I don't blame French--there apparently isn't a lot of primary source evidence, except Wallis Simpson's own highly re-invented story. He tries to make a case for her being used as a courier during a time when all other forms of conveying intel were exceedingly untrustworthy. May even have been true, once or twice? But despite his sometimes farfetched-seeming alternate reasons, it seems fairly clear that she developed her well-known taste for jewels and jade while in China, and ramjetted around the louche parties and snob events looking for guys who could afford the lifestyle she wanted. Rank, too, if she could get it.

There is a lot of transitional "It was decided," a deadly phrase in a biography, for the reader wants to know WHO decided, and what's your source? But the answer invariably is, "we don't know"--unless you resort to reading Wallis's romanticized autobiography. In other places, he elides with what can only be called telepathy, telling us what Wallis Simpson thought, or making little judgments (she "valiantly" tried to do this or that). But too few citations of sources, other than her own words.

However, I finished the book because though I think French fell down on the biography side, he's terrific at depicting with vivid assurance, the weird world of twenties and thirsties Shanghai and Beijing (Peking in those days), before the rising violence tipped over into Japan's invasion and the bloodbath of the middle and later century. Here, French is at his best.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title is spot-on with this read. Wild Wallis, realizing that her marriage was failing and she had no support at home, decided to take it on the road, and went off to China to regroup. Here, the author opines, is where she truly found herself along with enough inspiration to carry her through a long, long not particularly happy life (not that she would admit it wasn't). Should things turn uncomfortable, it seems Wallis powered through wrapped up in a one-of-a-kind gown, stepped into her mystique, pulled up her secret skills and pushed the button to her elevated connections (which as we know were top drawer), twirling off to the next social event.

There are many books out there about Wallis Simpson - this one is more opinion-y about her than some - a robust gathering of rumors, opinions and hearsay, but it is thorough in its well-grounded facts about China during Simpson's time there, the eras from which she pulled her inspirations, comrades and handy lovers. Filled with copious notes, references pointing to the Whos, Whys and Wheres, there's also an index if a particular nugget for readers is wanted. Also, my favorite in a book like this - lots of pictures / photographs.

*A sincere thank you to Paul French, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* 25|52:39c

[Camelia Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not the right audience for the book. I heard this book from a podcast and thought it may provide an interesting perspective of old China from an outsider’ view. I am not at all interested in the Duchess of Windsor or any British Royalties. The endless repetition of the “China Dossier” and whether Mrs. Wallis Spenser acted as a document carrier for the US government is exhausting to me but may be interesting to others.

The narrator of the audiobook has a nice voice but can’t pronounce Chinese names. Her pronunciation is a big distraction.

However, I can see the amount of work the author has put into writing this book. Two chapters I appreciate : Chapter 8 – Jade Hunting at the “Thieves” Market, where Wallis collected Chinese antiques, and Chapter 9 – Temple Weekends, where Wallis spent time at a temple turned villa at Xishan (Xiangshan) just outside Beijing. Thanks to the author, I now have two names to look up: Carl Schuster, a Jewish exile who researched folk arts in China in the 1930s; Ellen LaMotte, an American nurse who worked in Beijing and the author of the travelogue Peking Dust published in 1917.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to read a book confirming rumor and gossip about the woman who inspired Edward VIII to abdicate the crown of England, this is not it. In fact, Paul French’s research shows that the “China Dossier” connecting Wallis to nefarious and salacious acts was based on pure fake news. No copy has ever been found.

What French did discover was far more interesting.

A hundred years ago, in 1924, Wallis was married to a navy man who was an abusive drunk. She joined Win while he was serving in Hong Kong, hoping he had mended his ways. Divorce was frowned upon, and Wallis tried to make the marriage work.

So be it, I thought. Win and I have failed in the West. perhaps in the East we can find our way to a new life. Wallis Simpson, quoted in Her Lotus Year

He had not changed. And yet, she followed him when he was transferred to Canton. When his abuse became physical, Wallis left him and went to Shanghai, seeking a way to begin divorce proceedings. Then, odly, she traveled to Tientsin, and then Peking.

She received an allowance from Win, but it would not have covered her expenses. Her Shanghai hotel was a top hotel. In Peking, she was met by a top army official. Plus, it was risky for women to travel alone, especially while China was in a fractional war for power.

The revolution in 1911 established the first Republic. Southern China supported the new republic, but warlords in the north were trying to take Peking. French notes that Wallis was “never more than a few miles from a warlord encampment” during half of her time in China.

None of this makes sense. How did Wallis afford these hotels and traveling expenses? Why did she go to dangerous places, where she knew no one? Unless, French suggests, she was serving as a courier. Telegraph communication had been severed to Tientsin and Peking. A navy wife was the perfect covert courier.

French draws from a multitude of writers to recreate China at this time. The descriptions are wonderful, a travelogue back in time. Rooms filled with lacquered furniture and porcelain vases, yellow silk brocade, ceilings painted with dragons and Chinese symbols. Camphor and sandalwood burned to repulse mosquitos. The Western communities with its gossip, polo matches, and endless cocktails.

We discover China along with Wallis, hunting for jade in the Thieves’ Market, going into the Western Hills of Peking to the Black Dragon Temple with her friends, week-ending at the Ming fort known as the Old Dragon’s Head with her lover.

By 1925, anti-foreigner movements were rising. It was time for Wallis to resume her life, return home and finalize her divorce.

After reading Alexander Larson’s trilogy that started with The Crown in Crisis I was no fan of Wallis Simpson. I found a more sympathetic woman in this portrayal of her early life. French systematically squashes the daming rumors that have haunted Wallis. He shows that this year changed her, strengthened her.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.

[Debra Pawlak · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance reading copy (arc) of this book from NetGalley.com and the publisher in return for a fair review. The most I can say is that author Paul French knows his Asian history. The problem I found with this book was not with the research, but with the story of Wallis Simpson that I thought it was supposed to be about. Page after page contained detailed historical facts about Peking and other Asian people/places, but not one mention of the woman herself. I began to wonder if the book was really about her or about where she lived for one year. I did not learn a whole about the lady, but I did learn a whole lot about China, Hong Kong, etc. Unfortunately, that was not what I was looking for. If you are fascinated by the Far East, this book might be for you. If you are looking for information about the life of Wallis Simpson, you will not find it here.

[Annie Oortman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, has always been an intriguing person. I’ve read and watched about anything done on her. “Her Lotus Year” is a brilliantly researched read that dissects a year in the Duchess’s life surrounded by mystery, myth, and lies. French does a great job debunking (and promoting) many stories told about the Duchess’s year in China. The author bounces among reporting facts, promoting myths, and--more often--defending the Duchess’s actions. But, through it all, French paints an intriguing picture of the roaring twenties in China and turns the most hated American in Britain into a relatable woman. Worth the read.

[Karyl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been interested in the British royal family for as long as I can remember, and I know a shameful amount of random information, like who lived when and what house this ruler came from. I’ve always thought in hindsight that Britain dodged a bullet with the abdication crisis; it was my understanding that King Edward VII and Wallis Simpson were a little too cozy with fascism, and perhaps WWII would have had a different outcome.

That said, this book isn’t even really about Wallis Simpson, but rather a travelogue of her year in China in 1924. The evocative descriptions of Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Peking (now Beijing) in this book make the reader wish they could go back in time to wander the narrow hutongs and stay a weekend in the temples of the Western Hills, as Simpson did. Or to hunt for treasures in the early morning markets, treasures that could very well have been part of the emperor’s household just a few years before. Alas, most of the hutongs have been demolished, and the China before communism and industrialization and capitalism is but a faint memory in the country’s mind.

It’s important for the Western reader to remember that China as we know it today is a rather new entity. During Simpson’s stay in China in the 1920s, warlords were constantly fighting to gain new territory and power. Often she could hear the sound of artillery in the distance. It’s possible that Simpson acted as a courier for the US Navy, bringing important documents from one city in China to the next, with other means of communication virtually non-existent.

French’s assertion that the China Dossier, which supposedly detailed Simpson’s debauched year in China, proving she was unfit to wed a king, never existed and was instead a way to ruin Simpson’s reputation surprises me not in the least. Imagine the racism and xenophobia that has to exist for society to assume that a woman has lost her moral compass simply by stepping foot in a particular nation; it’s offensive not only to women but also that nation. But so often in history an independent and strong woman faces rumor and innuendo in order to tear her down. I don’t suppose Britain ever expected King Edward to choose her over his throne.

Because this book was more of a description of the China that Simpson knew in the 1920s, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It does surprise me to find out that several of Simpson’s biographers had an agenda and repeated blatantly false information, though I suppose it shouldn’t. French brings the irrefutable facts based on documentation, instead of hearsay.

If you’re looking for a book that satisfies all the salacious rumors you’ve heard about Wallis Simpson, this book isn’t it. But if you enjoy a book describing a place and a time that is no more, you may enjoy this one.

[Kimberly Tierney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am a diehard fan of this topic. That being said, this book is dry like a textbook. That dry writing style made it incredibly difficult to get through reading it.

[East West Notes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul French’s latest work Her Lotus Year examines Wallis Simpson’s transformative year in 1920s China, offering a compelling counter-narrative to the scandal driven accounts that have long overshadowed her life. Through meticulous research and a sharp focus on providing a historical context, French challenges the tabloid portrayals of Wallis and her activities there. Instead, he offers a nuanced portrait of a woman navigating the challenges faced by foreign women in China, the struggles of escaping an abusive marriage, and her journey of personal reinvention during a turbulent era. This book follows her footsteps “…discovering her experiences of Hong Kong’s Kowloon district, Canton’s Shameen Island, the Shanghai Bund, or Peking’s ancient hutongs.”

Studying the history of China in the 1920s is crucial for understanding the political and social upheavals that shaped the country's trajectory toward revolution and modernisation. This period, marked by the decline of the Qing dynasty and the rise of the Nationalist and Communist movements, laid the foundations for many of the key events in 20th-century Chinese history. At the heart of French’s narrative is a provocative question: was Wallis Simpson a courier for the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence? French explores the plausibility of this claim, tracing her movements through incredibly dangerous situations and her meetings with important officials. He carefully considers how such connections were crucial in explaining her ability to secure available hotel rooms, afford it, and receive special treatment, including being welcomed and escorted by both American and British officers. He dismisses prior biographers for indulging in gossip and scandal rather than serious inquiry, deftly reconstructing her journeys across a China rife with banditry, warlord conflicts, and disease. By situating Wallis within the vibrant but precarious colonial enclaves of the time, French illuminates a world of treaty ports, crumbling governance, and cultural convergence often overlooked in royal histories.

One of the book’s central themes is the deeply ingrained misogyny and Orientalism that shaped perceptions of Western women in Asia. Wallis’s story underscores how stereotypes of expatriate women—rooted in "yellow peril" fears and moralistic judgments—led to absurd accusations, such as claims linking her to pornographic photos supposedly taken by Sir Victor Sassoon, a Jewish businessman who wasn’t even in China at the time. French reviews these Sino phobic and anti-Semitic narratives, contrasting them with evidence of Wallis’s resourcefulness and adaptability in funding her travels. The secretive nature of her work only allowed accusations of sex work and drug abuse to flourish. Her possible role as an unpaid or underpaid courier for U.S. intelligence highlights the often-overlooked contributions of women to military and diplomatic efforts, even as societal norms relegated them to supporting roles. While not the main focus of this biography, French also profiles many other Western women who live and worked (sometimes publishing under a male name!) in China at the time.

French sensitively examines the gendered constraints of Wallis’s time. Her abusive marriage to a U.S. Navy officer exemplifies the limited agency afforded to diplomatic and military wives, whose lives were inextricably tied to their husbands’ careers. Through empathetic storytelling, French celebrates Wallis’s resilience and eventual escape to the intellectual and cultural vibrancy of Shanghai and Beijing. Her ventures into (successful) gambling and art sales, reveal her determination to carve out a sense of autonomy in an environment where formal employment for foreign women was scarce. Wallis’s later relationship with Alberto da Zara, an Italian naval officer, was brief but significant in her social trajectory. Similarly, the book outlines the wealthy friends who were happy to provide her with accommodation and a living while she attempted to sort out an American divorce from within China. I particularly enjoyed the vivid descriptions of how her courtyard home was decorated. The later sections which include numerous dinner parties, provide an excellent introduction to Chinese writers and intellectuals, offering a glimpse into life in the more affluent hutongs.

Later chapters capture the breath-taking beauty and cultural richness of her surroundings, from morning rides atop the Tartar Wall to explorations of hidden temples and bustling markets. These moments of discovery and wonder are juxtaposed with the harsh realities of living in China during this time. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the changing seasons in the countryside and what city life would have smelled and sounded like. The author took the time to verify the specific Black Dragon Temple that Wallis stayed in, greatly enhancing the historical accuracy and depth of the descriptions. While previous biographers seemed to overlook the importance of pinpointing the exact temple, this detail is crucial for understanding Wallis’ story and its connection to China’s history. Far from a period of moral decay, Wallis’s time in China emerges as one of profound transformation—a year that left her more sophisticated, worldly, and unshakably herself. I love a story of personal reinvention arising out of trauma, described here as:

“It was a year that would affect her in significant ways. She discovered she could mix easily in sophisticated international company, where the conversation was immeasurably more interesting than the middle-class Baltimore dining rooms or drab US naval base society she had known previously. Over the course of her stay, she would develop a lifelong appreciation of traditional Chinese style and aesthetics, developing the exquisite taste for which she became renowned.”

In revealing Wallis Simpson’s overlooked experiences, French critiques the enduring racism, sexism, and Orientalist tropes that have distorted her legacy. His narrative is not just a biography, but also a broader commentary on the privileges enjoyed by wealthy Western women in China, as well as the challenges they faced. Closing on a bittersweet note, Her Lotus Year reflects on Wallis’s sumptuous highs and harrowing lows, offering a compassionate and richly textured account of her life.

Some may critique his reliance on secondary sources for descriptions, but as someone who has also visited and lived in the locations described in the book a century later, I found the contrasts fascinating. It was intriguing to imagine how Wallis might have travelled, dined, or explored compared to the present day. While much has changed, elements like the historic hotels and iconic treats such as "candied hawthorns on sticks" or "boiled sweet potatoes" continue to resonate with modern travellers.

French demonstrates extensive knowledge of the fiction and memoirs from the time of Wallis's stay, skilfully weaving these elements into the narrative to provide added context, vivid descriptions, and a touch of humour. For readers interested in royal history, expatriate life, or China’s history, this is an essential read. Her Lotus Year stands as both a corrective to lazy historical stereotypes and a celebration of Wallis’s resilience, intelligence, and enduring complexity.

[Zennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book struggles to find its footing amidst a patchwork of previously published content, resulting in a disjointed narrative with little fresh insight. Heavy reliance on repetition and tangential material dilutes its focus, leaving readers longing for originality.Passages about Wallis Simpson often veer into unrelated territory, offering little more than recycled information. Readers seeking new perspectives will find the book adds little to Ms. Wallace’s own autobiography or existing works.

[Carole Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

An early chapter in the life of Wallis Simpson

When most people (myself included) think of Wallis Simpson, they conjure up an image of a social climbing American divorcée for whom a British king gave up his throne. I will admit that I knew little of the woman who would become the Duchess of Windsor beyond that, other than that she had been in a bad marriage. Author Paul French has written this book to shed light on the year Wallis spent in China starting in 1924 (what she referred to in her memoirs as her “Lotus Year”), which were long speculated to be a time of licentious behavior. Fake news, it seems, is not a new phenomenon. Wallis travelled to Asia, while her then-husband and US naval officer Win Spencer was stationed in Hong Kong, hoping to either make their marriage work or obtain what she had heard would be a relatively easy divorce in the International Settlement in Mainland China. Neither, it turned out, would work out….Win’s drinking problem was as bad as ever, and she did not have the necessary two year residency in China required for a divorce. She would travel to Shanghai, Canton, Peking and Tientsin during a time of political turmoil between feuding warlords and political parties as European ex-pats partied in the coastal cities. Wallis was fascinated by the beauty to be found there…the elegant lacquer, porcelain and silk with which buildings were decorated, and the jade which she would collect for years afterword. When her relationship with the future King of England was viewed with disfavor, the British government painted this period in her life as one of promiscuity and suspicious behavior (her style of living seemed more costly than her budget could have afforded)…but could the truth have been less salacious and more intriguing than people were led to believe?
Her Lotus Year does a very good job of describing Hong Kong and China during that period of history, the political climate within China and the life of the Europeans living and traveling there. Mr. French also sets out to correct the fallacies of the “China Dossier” that the British government purportedly amassed, and speculates that Wallis may actually have been one of the navy wives used by the US government as couriers to get messages to different locales when other methods of communication were unreliable. There is little documentation of this period in Wallis’ life beyond where and when she stayed in different locales (and her own memoirs, which are a fairly subjective source of material) so much of Mr. French’s case is conjecture, but he is persuasive. Did I learn more about the maligned Wallis Simpson? Yes, and I discovered quite a bit about a period in Asian history as well. I would not call the book a true biography, but it is an intriguing bit of speculation about this oft-maligned woman. Those who enjoy reading about members of the British monarchy and those who are interested in Chinese history will find this book of interest, as will readers of Hugo Vickers, Alexander Larman and Laurence Leamer. My thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for allowing me early access to a copy of Her Lotus Year,

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rate this 3.5 out of 5.

I want to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a positive review.

Brief Summary: This book examines the time that Wallis Simpson spent in China. Her time in China totals just over a year and this book includes not only the political climate of China but the people that Simpson encountered during her time there.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this book. French captured the excitement and tension of a woman venturing from home to find herself. This is the first book that I have read about Simpson that focuses exclusively on a time before she became the obsession of Edward VIII and that novelty makes this book an important part of the works on Simpson.

French’s work has two shining moments. The first is that it details the marriage between Simpson and Earl Winfield Spencer Jr. Given that her third marriage sent the British monarchy into chaos and she was married to Ernest Simpson who she kept in touch with after her marriage (see Anne Seba’s work) the Spencer marriage is often only mentioned in a chapter. I appreciated how French details their early romance and the unravelling of their marriage 10 years later. I was previously unaware of the dynamics of this marriage and the information provided in this work shed new light on Simpson as a person.

The second is that French provides context for the woman Simpson developed into. Particularly the lifelong friends she made and her cultural interests. It was interesting to learn how she started her own business in China selling trinkets to supplement her income.

French’s conjectures on what Simpson was doing during her time in China are well-researched and compelling. He makes an interesting argument given the available evidence. However, the absence of evidence is not proof. When the Abdication Crisis occurred the British government constantly spread rumors about a China Dossier about how Simpson was a spy, a sex worker, and other salacious rumors. French points out that no evidence of the dossier has ever reached the public and thus likely does not exist. However, that is an impossible argument to make. Knowing some rumours and refuting known ones indicates that it was mostly fabricated information, but we cannot know for sure.

Overall, this is an interesting book. If you are interested in understanding Simpson as a person, this book adds to the known evidence and will help you flesh out an understanding of her. However, 50% of this book is about the political landscape of China at the time. This is important information, particularly if, like me, you do not understand what was happening in China during this time. Another 10% of this book is about the friends that Simpson made along the way and what happened to them after the time focused on in this book. The remaining 40% of the book focuses on Simpson.

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

Minor: Infertility and Abortion

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wallis Simpson (then Spencer and later the Duchess of Windsor) arrived in Peking on 13 December 1924. One hundred years later, to the day, at a little past 11pm, I started reading Paul French's account of her time in China. Without question, French is the best writer yet to document the expatriate experience of Westerners in China during the interwar years. His combination of history, cultural as well as political and literary, provides an unparalleled view of those times. Nor does he shy away from the influences of film and emerging trends in twentieth century travel and business practices. In another hundred years, this and French's other books on China will be the starting point for English language research into the behavior and actions of American and European expats in the Far East.

I've never paid much attention to Wallis Simpson. My first memory of her and her husband, the former King, Edward VIII, was an interview that appeared on the first season of 60 Minutes back on 4 February 1969 (I had to look up the date, but I did remember the interview vividly). In my mind I still see an elderly couple who seem stiff and out of place. There was little charm in it, as far as I was concerned.

But French has brought out another side of Wallis in this book. French is sympathetic to her, and reveals her as an adventuresome 28 year old woman, with only minimal financial support, separated from her abusive US Navy husband. Nonetheless, she charges off to Hong Kong, Canton, then Tientsin China before taking a train through bandit country to Peking. French convincingly speculates she was operating as a courier for the US State Department on these trips. And although he doesn't utter it aloud, there is the implication the support she received from the US government (remembering she was at the time nothing more than an obscure wife to a drunken naval officer) might have meant she did even more.

Wallis turned her time in Peking in particular into an experience that illustrated her cleverness and insight. She did enjoy free room and board with wealthy friends, but she supported her own lifestyle and obsession with jade collecting through the skills she developed as a poker player and a hard working scavenger working the Thieves' Market and the Ghost Market in Peking. Wallis comes across as smart, plucky, and accomplished. And she fits in well with the world of writers, painters, aesthetes, business people, adventurers, and political agents then living in Peking.

While I did feel admiration towards Wallis, I couldn't help but also be abashed at the pillaging of Chinese artifacts, treasures, scrolls, and other cultural works that the expat community conducted in their mania for "collecting." French is telling the story of expats, but even on the edges of those expat lives the bleak picture of Chinese art being crated off to other lands still hits hard. Of course, subsequent events, Mao's Cultural Revolution and China's modernization over the past forty years, ended up being far more destructive to architecture and cultural heritage than anything the expats did. Chinese lives, of course, didn't fare much better.

French does recycle some material from earlier works, but it's necessary to build a full picture of Wallis' surroundings. But one thing is irritating, and that is French's reliance on footnotes. Really, please simply cites sources in your notes. Don't indulge in parallel explorations or lengthy asides. If text is important enough to discuss, then put it in the body of the work. At least 99 percent of the at length arguments in the footnotes could easily have been incorporated directly into the text.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily. So much has been written about Wallis Simpson, and so much speculation about parts of her life, that it’s hard to sift through it all and know what’s fact or fiction. I, for one, am here for it. As someone who was a tween and discovered the “love story of the century” with a TV movie starring Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour, I’ve taken great interest in the story of American Wallis Simpson.

There were some trashy rumors that always followed the Duchess, during her life and after her death, about a “China Dossier” that the British government had on her about her time in China in the mid-1920s, a time of great turmoil in the country. No one has ever produced the document, only repeated rumors of what was in it, speculating that what was inside the dossier was what, in fact, brought down King Edward VIII and forced his abdication. This book attempts to sift through all the rumors and get down to the facts.

The problem is, there’s scant documentation about Wallis’ time in China, other than where she went and when, as well as her own sanitized recollections in her memoir. The book acts much like a travelogue of China in the 1920s once the Duchess arrives there. There’s a lot of “Wallis could have” and “Wallis might have,” but without actual facts surrounding the events, one comes away from the book without any concrete answers.

There’s speculation that Wallis was actually a courier for the U.S. government, given her naval husband’s salary, which was usually spent on drink, and the fact that once she left her husband, her stipend from him would not allow her to stay in the high-quality hotels that she ended up in. Clearly, she was getting extra money from somewhere, and the circumstances described in the book would leave the reader to come to the same conclusion as the author. She had always had a generous uncle, so maybe she just got money from him. However, Wallis’ movements while in the east sometimes don’t make sense, that is, unless she was acting as a courier. Ultimately, it’s still a guessing game.

Overall, this book paints the future Duchess of Windsor in a most favorable light, at least at that time in her life, married to an abusive, alcoholic husband, doing whatever she could to survive. Because the book is hyper-focused on the 1924-25 year that Wallis was in the east, there’s scant mention of her now-known sympathy for the Nazis during WWII. I’m not sure one’s reputation can recover from that knowledge, no matter how sympathetic a book about her can be.

[Anne Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everything I know about Wallis Simpson I know in relationship to the abdication crisis and World War II, so when I saw the description of this book I thought it might be interesting to learn more about her in a completely different, earlier, setting.

Sadly, the book is disappointing in two big ways. One is in the highly repetitious writing- always a major problem for me in a book. The other is if you picked up the book expecting to read a definite biography in the "making of Wallis Simpson". Because while I think author Paul French does a relatively good job making arguements against some of the slanders Wallis faced later in life, I didn't end the book feeling like I really knew much about Wallis.

Much of the problem is probably the lack of source material on Wallis herself. Instead what your read is plenty on the history of the various parts of China that Wallis traveled through in 1924-25 and quotes by other travelers on what it was like at the time. I was intrigued and mildly convinced by French's arguement that Wallis may likely have been one of the Navy wives used at the time to courier documents in China as the actual reason for her traveling to places instead of her offhanded comments of "going there shopping" that she uses in her autobiography. But I wish French had gone into the phenomenon more (maybe that's still classified and there are only rumors of the practice as a whole and not just Wallis' participation? French left me unclear there). To fill space he does give you mini biographies of every man Wallis meets for even one encounter, with what I thought was noticable less attention paid to the women she met.

Wallis remains more of a shadow by the end than someone we can really understand, let alone see how her year in China shaped her. There was no "before" and "after" sense to her because I got no sense of her personality throughout the book at all.

This is more of a book I'd recommend to people wanting to start learning about Chinese politics, war, and colonial interactions in 1924-25 and the European travelers who went there than anything else.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Her Lotus Year: China, the Roaring Twenties, and the Making of Wallis Simpson," Paul French takes readers on a captivating journey through the life of the legendary Wallis Simpson, focusing on her formative year in China. This meticulously researched and engagingly written book offers a fresh perspective on a woman often maligned by history, revealing her as a woman of courage and determination.

Set against the backdrop of 1920s China, a country still reeling from civil war and political fragmentation, French paints a vivid picture of a complex and fascinating period. The Nationalist Party and the Chinese Communist Party were vying for power, while the Soviets attempted to unify the country and counter the influence of the warlords. Amidst this turmoil, Wallis Simpson, then Wallis Warfield Spencer, embarked on a journey that would shape her destiny.

French's lively and gossipy tone brings to life the social circles of the foreign diplomatic community in Peking, where Wallis became a central figure. Her love for Peking, its hutongs, and its rich culinary traditions is beautifully captured, as she embraced Chinese food and culture with gusto. From imperial banquets to fried bears' paws, Wallis tried everything, developing a keen appreciation for the Chinese sense of taste and texture.

But Wallis's time in China was not just about personal growth and cultural immersion. French presents compelling evidence that Wallis may have acted as a courier for the US government, undertaking dangerous undercover diplomatic missions in a China torn by civil war. This revelation adds a layer of intrigue to her story, challenging the British government's "China Dossier" that portrayed Wallis as sordid and unfit to marry a king.

"Her Lotus Year" is a must-read for anyone interested in Wallis Simpson, 1920s China, or the complex interplay between personal narratives and historical events. With its meticulous research, engaging prose, and thought-provoking insights, this book offers a fresh and captivating look at a woman who continues to fascinate and inspire.

[Debbie Cleveland · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I usually read fiction, like many Anglophiles, I have a fascination with the British Royal Family. Wallis Simpson, later Duchess of Windsor, was a disruptor to the usual order of primogeniture/line of succession. Not beautiful, twice divorced, she wasn't in the eyes of most, a candidate to be married to the heir to the throne, and then Queen. Rumors and dossiers at the time, articles and books continuing into present day report and repeat tales of her life before meeting her prince. I've read many and seen some YouTube videos about their love affair and life.
And so, Her Lotus Year intrigued me. The book is carefully researched, the author providing numerous quotations and footnotes to back up his text. He debunks many rumors present in other biographies and doesn't sensationalize. A strong case is made that she was a courier of important official U.S. documents during a tumultuous time of Chinese warlords and government upheaval.
There are fascinating detailed descriptions of daily life (horseback riding and races) and living quarters of the various government legations, the wealthy foreigners, and various journalists and famous and lesser authors who were in China around the same time frame. Wow, what an adventurous spirit she must have had, coupled with nerves of steel, a charming way about her, and luck. She also made the most of circumstances and the people she met. At the same time, she made friends and connections for life while in China so obviously they didn't feel used. (My impression was in later years as the Duchess, she wasn't so charming.)
Separated from an alcoholic and battering U.S. Naval Officer and with limited funds, she bounced back through old acquaintances who became fast friends, gay and suave dancing partners, poker playing, jade trading, and an Italian lover. Who knew? Well, you will find out the details and her lows and highs by reading this book. Note that it is sometimes dry, as French meticulously lays out his cases regarding the truth versus gossip that still swirls around Wallis Simpson.

[Desirae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I, like many others, have read a lot of conflicting information about Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, and had reached some conclusions about her as well as the Duke. Even though THIS book had nothing about him in it, it contained a LOT of interesting new information--to me, anyway--about Wallis and her earlier life before meeting Prince Edward. Her reason for going to China, to try to repair her marriage to her first husband, who was in the US Navy and had been sent to China to serve as a boat commander, was interesting enough, but since he was an alcoholoc, her tries soon were not enough to keep her with him, and she left. There was some evidence that she worked for the US as an informal information carrier in China, since the mails and telegraphs were unreliable, to say the least, but she finally ended up staying for several months with good friends of hers, and was introduced to a whole different China, which she fell in love with, and which shaped her life in many ways for the future. It went a long ways towards explaining why she was in China and what she did, which was NOT what most people thought. She didn't buy or sell herself, she bought and sold jade and other Chinese artifacts to make some money! And she was very good at it, apparently. All of this made her into a modern, self-assured person who COULD survive on her own if need be.

All in all, this was a very interesting period of Simpson's life, and helped explain what made her, shaped her life, and drove her. A lot of it came as a complete revelation to me as well. I am glad that I found this book, and am grateful to NetGalley for the ebook ARC provided to me to read. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I, like many others, have read a lot of conflicting information about Wallis Warfield Simpson, the future Duchess of Windsor, and had reached several conclusionsa about her as well as the Duke. Even though this book had nothing to do about him, as it covered an earlier part of her life, it contained a lot of interesting new information--to me, at least. Her reason for going to China, to try to repair her faltering marriage to her husband, who was in the US Navy and had been sent to China to protect US interests after WWI, was interesting enough, but as he was an alcoholic, her tries were soon not enough to keep her with him, and she left. There was some evidence that she was acting as an information courier for the US government, since local communications were often faulty. She finally ended up meeting with and staying with good friends of hers, who introduced her to their China, which she fell in love with, and which shaped her life in many ways for the future. In many ways it explained why she was in China and what she did, which was NOT what many people thought; she didn't sell herself, but instead bought and sold jade and other fine Chinese artifacts to make money. She was very good at it too! All of this made her a competent, self assured woman who could survive on her own if need be.

All in all this was a very interesting period of Simpson's life, and helped explain what made her, shaped her life, and drove her. A lot of it came as a complete revelaton to me as well. I am glad I found this book, and am grateful to NetGalley for providing me an ebook ARC of it; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Connie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mrs. Wallis Warfield Spencer, 28, was married to Navy pilot, Earl Spencer. When he was transferred from Washington, D.C. to China, he begged Wallis to follow him. Thus begins her year spent in several areas of China 1924-1925.

Her husband is an abusive drunk. When he was transferred to China, Wallis didn’t mind during to his treatment of her. But his insisting that she follow him meant a big chance in her lifestyle. She was interested in learning more about the culture of the country and wanted to be a part of the group of people known then as The Lotus Eaters. These were people who grouped together and just sat back and enjoyed the easy life.

While in China, the book explains in excruciating detail about the different conflicts in the country and the daily life that Wallis lived. It is believed that she agreed to transport documents for U.S. authorities in Hong Kong, but that has not been proven.

I have read several books about Wallis Simpson and considered them all to be quite informative and centered on her. However, I really did not care for this book as it was too centered on the conflicts/politics of China itself and I couldn’t care less about that and not so much as Wallis Simpson as i was led to believe. Thus, I cannot say that I enjoyed this book at all.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this untold and fascinating history of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, before she became internationally famous as the wife of an abdicated king, readers follow Wallis’s travels in China as described in her own memoirs in this fantastic and detailed new title. The book follows her travels and life in China as outlined in her memoirs and her appreciation of Chinese aesthetics and style, but it also delves into how the alleged “China Dossier” was a damaging collection of rumours and documents that would destroy her reputation and chance at marriage with Edward VIII. Paul French, an acclaimed historian of China, instead argues that Wallis Spencer might have acted as an undercover American diplomatic agent in a China embroiled by civil war rather than the scandalous woman she is now known as. Excellently written and packed with details about both Wallis and early twentieth-century China, this book is complex and well-written, and the historical detail and information is absolutely impeccable in its analysis and depth. As a travel memoir, history book, and semi-biography, French balances these three genres very well over the course of the book, giving each time to star, and his overall challenge to popular perceptions of Wallis Spencer is a welcome and fascinating addition to twentieth-century royal history.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy.

[Nancy Mazgajewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Goodreads and St. Martin's Press for receiving a copy of Paul French's book, Her Lotus Year.

It is the well-documented tale of Wallis, the Duchess of Windsor, and her time in China while married to her first husband Commander Earl Winfield "Win" Spencer. Wallis followed her Naval husband to China in the hopes of saving their marriage. Instead she found herself during her ambitious sojourn traveling through the country in what she referred to as her "Lotus Year".

While in her twenties Wallis was entrusted by the Navy to carry documents from one dangerous locale to the next providing her with a glimpse into the great expanse of China. This was during a time of political upheaval, revolutionaries, warlords, bandits and pirates.

The reader learns of her great friendship with both Kitty and Herman Rogers whom she stayed with in Peking and later fled to their home in France during Edward's abdication. We learn of her money making ventures from both gambling and selling Chinese curios. It was a brief glimpse into the life of the Duchess that I was not prepared for.

In researching Man Ray's photos of Wallis the cover image of the book is one of his most famous.

Well done, Mr. French!

[Paula Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure 1: An ARC of this book was sent to me from the publisher with a request to read and review. 2. I have never liked or admired Wallis Simpson. I have always imagined her as someone who was bored, possibly over sexed and shallow; who did have the redeeming grace of accidently keeping a Nazi off of the English throne in WWII.

When I first started the book, it felt pedantic and over-detailed, but by the end of the first chapter I was into the rhythm of the writing and it didn't bother me again. The book tells about a young Wallis Samples, who followed her Naval pilot husband to China in the hopes of saving her marriage. Her husband was an abusive drunk but in the twenties nice girls didn't divorce. So Wallis went hoping that a change of scene would be what the marriage needed.

The book describes how China made Wallis grow up, and how China and Wallis affected each other.
She is much more sympathetic in the book than she seemed to be in other biographies. The book also describes preRevolutionary China in more detail than most Westerners know about.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Wallis Simpson, preRevolutionary China or biographies.

[Sage · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was expecting so much more when reading a biography about Wallis Simpson, but I guess there is always a way to spin the truth. Maybe that's why the author chose to write about this year in her life, maybe there was not much happening as far as her far-right Nazi leanings.

I understand that the book is about her time in China, but it is possible to make references to the fact she was a Nazi. Talk about how an event in her life may have led to her political beliefs, things like that. He did mention WWII but made the decision to not talk about the connection between Wallis Simpson, Edward VIII, and the Nazi party. Could be wrong, but I don't think the Nazis were even mentioned.

The book was well-researched and documented, although it really is hard to tell what exactly is the truth when a biographer puts a spin on a book like this. Taking everything here with a bucket of salt🧂

Got this book free in a goodreads giveaway. As you can tell, my opinions are all my own. Sorry I couldn't give the book a higher rating. Can't remember the last time I gave a book a one star, but the Nazi thing ...

[Martin Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of Paul French, who has written several very good books about China and Shanghai. I am especially fond of City of Devils, and I am adding this one to my list of favorites. French tackles the Wallis Simpson "China Dossier" and throws it for a loss. The dossier, of which no copy has ever surfaced, allegedly documented Simpson's immoral behavior, drug use, affairs, etc. while in China in 1924-25. The dossier supposed was compiled by the British security services in an effort to dissuade King Edward VIII from abdicating and marrying her. French does an excellent job of refuting the rumors that swirled around Simpson and describing the struggles she had with an abusive first husband.

The book is well worth reading for another reason. It provides a very good picture of what expat and foreign diplomatic life was like in China during this critical period in Chinese history. The chapters on Simpson's life in Peking are especially good at conveying the social whirl and the emptiness of that whirl while the average Chinese struggled to stay alive amid famine, warlords, foreign imperialism (Western and Japanese), and natural disasters.

[Vicuña · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not a royalist in any way, but I do enjoy reading about some of the more interesting characters in the royal circle. Wallis Simpson ticks that box; enigmatic in every way and an individual who changed the course of history. I was aware of her time spent in China but had read little about the detail. Her Lotus Year fills that gap, drawing on extensive research to recount her activities during that period in her life. I was certainly unaware of her diplomatic role and if true, it adds an additional perspective to her life. Rather like Pamela Harriman, Churchill’s daughter, Simpson was a lady much maligned throughout her life. Dismissed as a scheming social climber who brought the British monarchy close to breaking point, she was largely reviled thereafter, not least by the current royals.

This is an interesting and compressive read that adds a different dimension to the lady. I remain intrigued by her and it’s easy to see how she was able to influence and control a stupid and ineffectual monarch.

[Angelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always happy to see a new book about the Duchess of Windsor, and Her Lotus Year is one of the best I've read. Mr. French covers her time spent in Asia during and after her marriage to her first husband. Mr. French's knowledge of China and Asia is evident on every page. He brings life and color to early Twentieth Century China.

What I really appreciate about this book is his complete dismissal of the famed "China Dossier" that supposedly highlighted Wallis's immoral and deviant lifestyle. He points out that no one has ever seen the dossier, there is no evidence it ever existed, and it was obviously created to make her look bad.

Mr. French has painted a portrait of a woman of immense strength, who broke out of the confines of her staid upbringing and created a life for herself. I loved this book, and I highly recommend it.

I received an advance review copy of this book and am enthusiastically leaving this 5-star review.

[Carly B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating window into Wallis Simpson's year in China—I learned a lot. However, the book needed better editing; there was considerable repetition and numerous random historical references throughout that proved disorienting. I'd notice a new person or event and expect it to be significant, only to find it immediately abandoned. While the author seemed to be attempting to paint a picture of the era, these tangents ultimately disrupted the narrative flow. The author also spends a good deal of time correcting previous writers' accounts, often at the expense of maintaining his own story's momentum.

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My rating scale:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’m recommending it to everyone
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’m recommending it selectively
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’m not recommending it, but I finished it
⭐️⭐️ I’m not recommending it, and I didn’t want to finish it
⭐️ I’m actively telling people to avoid it

[Debbie Maskus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Her Lotus Year by Paul French provided a different view of Wallis Spencer Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor. French covers Wallis Spencer as she follows her naval husband, Earl Spencer, to China in 1924. The Spencers had been having a difficult time in their marriage due to the excessive drinking by Earl. Wallis decided that maybe a change in scenery might save their marriage. China in the 1920’s bubbled with political tensions between the ruling class and the warlords. Into this mess stepped Wallis and many other naval wives hoping to see China and support their husbands. During the stay in China, Wallis supposedly carried important documents for the state department on events happening at that time. A very different image of the woman who caused King Edward VIII to renounce his crown for “the woman I love”. An interesting look at Wallis before she meets and marries Edward.