Review: The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks

The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks
William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: January 25th, 2022
Paperback. 560 pages.

About The Good Wife of Bath:

"In the middle ages, a famous poet told a story that mocked a strong woman. It became a literary classic. But what if the woman in question had a chance to tell her own version? 

England, 1364: When married off at aged twelve to an elderly farmer, brazen redheaded Eleanor quickly realizes it won't matter what she says or does, God is not on her side--or any poor woman's for that matter. But then again, Eleanor was born under the joint signs of Venus and Mars, making her both a lover and a fighter. 

Aided by a head for business (and a surprisingly kind husband), Eleanor manages to turn her first marriage into success, and she rises through society from a cast-off farm girl to a woman of fortune who becomes a trusted friend of the social-climbing poet Geoffrey Chaucer. But more marriages follow--some happy, some not--several pilgrimages, many lovers, murder, mayhem, and many turns of fortune's wheel as Eleanor pursues the one thing that all women want: control of their own lives."

The Good Wife of Bath is a truly remarkable historical fiction story following the fictional life of The Wife of Bath herself from Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Although it will likely enhance the reading experience, I do not think it is at all necessary to have read The Canterbury Tales in order to enjoy this book. I absolutely adored this book and would easily consider it a favorite. This is a genuinely absorbing tale full of ups and downs. My heart was filled with joy at many different moments, as well as completely broken at far too many moments as well. 

The Good Wife of Bath begins following the life of Eleanor at the age of twelve when she is first married off to an older tenant former at the age of twelve. From this point, we follow Eleanor through the years and through her marriages to a small array of very different men, all of whom bring something new to Eleanor's life, whether for better or worse. This story follows Eleanor through the many events in her life, from her rise to success as a businesswoman (of sorts) and close friendship with Geoffrey Chaucer, to her pilgrimages and attempts to wrest control of her own life. 

Eleanor has easily because one of my favorite protagonists. She headstrong, intelligent, and always up for something new and stimulating to do. She's also one of the strongest women I've come across. From the age of twelve when she is first married off, to her later years after she's been through multiple marriage and hardships, Eleanor somehow always manages to maintain a sense of determination and (as much as I hate to use the word 'plucky' sometimes) sheer pluckiness that makes her a consistent force to be reckoned with. 

I can't say enough how much I loved following Eleanor throughout her life. Things aren't always that happy to read about, but they are so full of the realities of life and the struggles and hope that come with that. Some of the biggest themes of The Good Wife of Bath are around Eleanor autonomy and how her life seems to constantly be controlled by men–and her trying to figure out how she can run her own life while under the restraints of said men. Watching Eleanor navigate her life while married to such a wide variety of different men was fascinating and surprisingly mesmerizing as well. Although only a twelve year girl at the start, she shows her ability to be observant and learn from the world and people around her quickly, and through this we see her adapt better to her environments and learn how to best communicate with any variety of person she meets, whether a future husband, a neighbor, or someone business-related. She shows her worth as having a shrewd eye for business with her first marriage, and this leads to many different paths later in life for her, both good and bad. She learns the difference between love, lust, and duty, and makes some truly wonderful and close friends along the way. 

I read the The Good Wife of Bath in audiobook format narrated by Fran Burgoyne and it was phenomenal. It's very clear that Burgoyne put a lot of care into capturing the voice of Eleanor, and she does so excellently. I think being able to exhibit Eleanor's personality throughout her life is ac challenging task due to how much she grows and changes and all the difficult times she goes through, and I really loved how Burgoyne captured so much of the emotion and change over the course of the story. Whether you're a seasoned audiobook listener or just getting into it, you cannot go wrong with the quality and narrative excellence of The Good Wife of Bath. 

Lastly, I wanted to add that Karen Brooks has a wonderful author's note at the end of this book that covers many of her choices and thoughts on the historical period and how shoe chose to write the story as she did. For instance, she explains thoroughly why she chose to stick to historical accuracy and begin the story with her main character, a young girl of twelve, marry an old man and include everything that comes with that. She is never explicit or writes for shock factor, but rather writes for what is accurate for the story. Brooks also includes an excellent list of books used for her research for further reading if you find yourself wondering more about the time period. 

Overall, it's an easy five stars from me for The Good Wife of Bath! This is a not a book that I'll be forgetting about anytime soon. 

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Friday Face-Off: Dark Lord

   

Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme at Books by Proxy. Join us every Friday as we pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe.  You can find a list of upcoming topics at Lynn's Books.

This week's topic is:

Dark Lord Lady

For this week's theme of dark lord, I've chosen a dark lady, named The Lady from Glen Cook's The Chronicles of the Black Company series. I've opted to compare some covers from the first book, The Black Company, and I was excited to see how many different editions there are to check out. 

1984 US Paperback | 2019 Spanish | 2008 French

2007 US Paperback | 2012 Portuguese | 1993 Polish

2001 Spanish | 2014 Persian | 1998 French

1997 Lithuanian | 2008 Russian | 2005 Serbian

2012 Russian | 2000 Czech | 1997 Russian

My choice(s):

These are all so different and so creative. And there are a lot of Russian editions of this book, I noticed (I didn't even include them all!). I am very amused by the 2012 Russian edition, in particular, but if we're picking favorites, I'd probably have to say 2019 Spanish and 2012 Portuguese editions appeal to me the most right off the bat. However, I also find the 2005 Serbian edition really fun, and I love the red of the Persian edition. These might not all be my taste, but I really think they are all pretty fun. What do you think?

Review: The Ivory Tomb (Rooks and Ruin #3) by Melissa Caruso

 

The Ivory Tomb (Rooks and Ruin #3) by Melissa Caruso
Orbit
Publication Date: December 6th, 2022
Paperback. 480 pages.

About The Ivory Tomb:

"The Rooks and Ruin series concludes with this epic fantasy bursting with intrigue and ambition, questioned loyalties, and broken magic as Ryx fights to defeat the demons and save everything she loves. 

The Dark Days have returned. The Demon of Carnage mercilessly cuts through villagers and armies. The Demon of Corruption rots the land. The Serene Empire and the Witch Lords race towards war. And in the middle of it all stands Rxyander, the Warden of Gloamingard. 

Burdened by conflicting loyalties and guilt, Ryx searches desperately for a way to defeat the demons before the world she loves is completely destroyed. To find answers, she’ll have to return to where it all started…the black tower at the heart of Gloamingard. 

By blood the Door was opened and only by blood will the Dark Days end."

Please note that while I will avoid any spoilers from The Ivory Tomb, there may be some minor spoilers for the first two books in the series in this review. 

The Ivory Tomb is the last and final installment in the Rooks and Ruin trilogy from Melissa Caruso. I have enjoyed this trilogy immensely and absolutely adore this world and characters. The Ivory Tomb was an incredible finale and I am both devastated that it's over and all also extremely satisfied with this ending. 

The Ivory Tomb picks up pretty soon after the events of The Quicksilver Court, which basically means there is chaos everywhere. All of the demons have been released from Hell and it's going pretty much as badly as you might expect. Ryx, Severin and the rest of the Rookery have undertaken the task of trying to get the demons back under control and sent back to Hell, but it's proving even harder than they could have expected, especially when Corruption, Carnage, and Hunger are wreaking havoc and terror upon the lands. And not only are Ryx, Severin, and the Rookery battling the demons, they are also battling those who should be on their side to send the demons back because of a recent discovery about Ryx that has some people on edge. 

This book was essentially nonstop action from page one that never let up, and I actually loved it. I'm always a little worried that my memory will be lacking when I read books in a series more than a couple months apart, but because Caruso throws you right back into this world and with these characters, it's easy to get sucked right back into this world and remember almost everything that happened prior to the events of The Ivory Tomb. I was immediately reminded why I love Ryx, Severin, Foxglove, Bastian, Kessa, and Ashe so much and how they work so well together as both friends and people thrown together by circumstances they never expected and now must work together in extreme situations, which they always do exceptionally well. 

As always, there is some fantastic political intrigue at play in this book, especially in regard to the potential wars brewing as a result of the current chaos caused by the demons being free. I really enjoy seeing how all of the different factions and areas interact with one another and have all of their own problems that lead to tons of insults and very precarious balances that must be held. The magic systems also play into the politics very heavily due how they are used and their implications on the world around them. I love how much is used in this series and the different ways it can be used. The Witch Lords are probably the most fascinating to me due to their connection to the land in their domain, and it's these strong ties that contribute to so much of the tension and conflict in this world, along with many other aspects. 

I think one thing I love about this series and this book in particular is how Caruso doesn't really throw in any unnecessary drama or conflict just to drag things out or add unneeded tension. For instance, there's a small romantic interest going on with Ryx and another character, but it's truly a very background concern in this series and never seems to override the overarching plot. In The Ivory Tomb, there are so many instance where Caruso could have turned a spotlight onto the romance and forced Ryx to do make questionable decisions based on her feelings, but she instead focuses more on the responsibilities that Ryx has as a warden of Gloamingard and to the world itself and getting the demons back under control, and I really appreciated that. The stakes feel so much more realistic and terrifying when the main focus stays on the big terrible things happening and not characters getting caught up in slightly less important (relatively) personal situations.

That being said, that's not to say that Caruso doesn't focus on the interpersonal relationships and chemistry between her characters, because she definitely does to an excellent degree. The dialogue and banter that all these characters have with one another are part of what makes this such a genuinely enjoyable story, and I loved the sense of comic relief I'd get when the characters were sarcastic or making in-jokes during intense moments. I also loved watching the process and culmination of Ryx and Severin's growth with one another in this book and seeing how they have slowly begun to trust one another and develop better understanding about each other's pasts and views. 

Overall, I've given The Ivory Tomb five stars! If you haven't started the Rooks and Ruin trilogy or read Melissa Caruso's Sword and Fire trilogy, then I'm sorry to say that you are definitely missing out. I can't recommend these books enough: amazing, endearing characters, political intrigue, vibrant world-building, and some fascinating magic systems. 

*I received a copy of The Ivory Tomb courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org 

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Godkiller by Hannah Kaner & The Blackhouse by Carole Johnstone

  

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
Publication: January 19th, 2023
Harper Voyager
Hardcover. 400 pages.
Pre-order: Book Depository

From Goodreads:

"You are not welcome here, godkiller 

Kissen’s family were killed by zealots of a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing gods, and enjoys it. That is until she finds a god she cannot kill: Skedi, a god of white lies, has somehow bound himself to a young noble, and they are both on the run from unknown assassins. 

Joined by a disillusioned knight on a secret quest, they must travel to the ruined city of Blenraden, where the last of the wild gods reside, to each beg a favour. 

Pursued by demons, and in the midst of burgeoning civil war, they will all face a reckoning – something is rotting at the heart of their world, and only they can be the ones to stop it."

I am hearing all kinds of buzz about this book, and I have to say I'm on board for it because this sounds amazing! (I recently discovered that this is a UK release so it's not coming out in the US in January that I know of, but you can always pick up a copy of Book Depository, Blackwell's, etc.)!

and...

The Blackhouse by Carole Johnstone
Publication: January 3rd, 2023
Scribner
Hardcover. 336 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:

"A remote village. A deadly secret. An outsider who knows the truth. 

Robert Reid moved his family to Scotland’s Outer Hebrides in the 1990s, driven by hope, craving safety and community, and hiding a terrible secret. But despite his best efforts to fit in, Robert is always seen as an outsider. And as the legendary and violent Hebridean storms rage around him, he begins to unravel, believing his fate on the remote island of Kilmeray cannot be escaped. 

For her entire life, Maggie MacKay has sensed something was wrong with her. When Maggie was five years old, she announced that a man on Kilmeray—a place she’d never visited—had been murdered. Her unfounded claim drew media attention and turned the locals against each other, creating rifts that never mended. 

Nearly twenty years later, Maggie is determined to find out what really happened, and what the islanders are hiding. But when she begins to receive ominous threats, Maggie is forced to consider how much she is willing to risk to discover the horrifying truth."

I am always a sucker for this type of story setup–I mean, how can you not love an atmospheric mystery set in a remote village? (If you don't love that, please don't answer that.) I'm excited to check it out!

What do you think about these upcoming releases? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

Top 5 Tuesday: 2022 Releases I Still Haven't Read

Today I've chosen to participate in Top 5 Tuesday, originally hosted by BionicBookworm, now hosted by MeeghanReads! 

This week's theme is: 2022 Releases I Still Haven't Read–But Want To!

There are... a lot of books I wanted to read this year that I haven't gotten to. I also usually make a bigger end of year post with books I wanted to read and didn't get to, but I figured I'd get a head start and highlight five books I've featured on Can't-Wait Wednesday posts from this past year that I'd still really like to read.

The Haunting of Las Lágrimas by W.M. Cleese

About:

"Argentina, winter 1913. 

Ursula Kelp, a young English gardener, travels to Buenos Aires to take up the role of head gardener at a long-abandoned estate in the Pampas. The current owner wishes to return to the estate with his family and restore the once-famous gardens to their former glory. 

Travelling deep into the Pampas, the vast grasslands of South America, Ursula arrives to warnings from the locals that the estate is haunted, cursed to bring tragedy to the founding family of Las Lágrimas. And soon Ursula believes that her loneliness is making her imagine things – the sound of footsteps outside her bedroom door, the touch of hands on her shoulders when there’s no one there. Most strangely of all, she keeps hearing the frenzied sound of a man chopping down trees in the nearby forest with an axe, when all her staff are in sight. 

As the strange occurrences intensify – with tragic consequences – Ursula questions if there’s truth in the rumours about the cursed estate. The family’s return is imminent – are they in danger? And the longer Ursula stays at the estate, the more she realises that she too is in mortal danger." Goodreads 

The School of Mirrors by Eva Stachniak

About:
"A scintillating, gorgeously written historical novel about a mother and a daughter in eighteenth-century France, beginning with decadence and palace intrigue at Versailles and ending in an explosive new era of revolution. 

During the reign of Louis XV, impoverished but lovely teenage girls from all over France are sent to a discreet villa in the town of Versailles. Overseen by the King’s favorite mistress, Madame de Pompadour, they will be trained as potential courtesans for the King. When the time is right, each girl is smuggled into the palace of Versailles, with its legendary Hall of Mirrors. There they meet a mysterious but splendidly dressed man who they’re told is merely a Polish count, a cousin of the Queen. Living an indulgent life of silk gowns, delicious meals, and soft beds, the students at this “school of mirrors” rarely ask questions, and when Louis tires of them, they are married off to minor aristocrats or allowed to retire to one of the more luxurious nunneries. 

Beautiful and canny Veronique arrives at the school of mirrors and quickly becomes a favorite of the King. But when she discovers her lover’s true identity, she is whisked away, sent to give birth to a daughter in secret, and then to marry a wealthy Breton merchant. There is no return to the School of Mirrors." Goodreads

All the Horses of Iceland by Sarah Tolmie

About:

"Everyone knows of the horses of Iceland, wild, and small, and free, but few have heard their story. Sarah Tolmie’s All the Horses of Iceland weaves their mystical origin into a saga for the modern age. Filled with the magic and darkened whispers of a people on the cusp of major cultural change, All the Horses of Iceland tells the tale of a Norse trader, his travels through Central Asia, and the ghostly magic that followed him home to the land of fire, stone, and ice. His search for riches will take him from Helmgard, through Khazaria, to the steppes of Mongolia, where he will barter for horses and return with much, much more. 

All the Horses of Iceland is a delve into the secret, imagined history of Iceland's unusual horses, brought to life by an expert storyteller." Goodreads

Hide by Kiersten White

About:
"The challenge: spend a week hiding in an abandoned amusement park and don't get caught. 

The prize: enough money to change everything. 

Even though everyone is desperate to win--to seize their dream futures or escape their haunting pasts--Mack feels sure that she can beat her competitors. All she has to do is hide, and she's an expert at that. 

It's the reason she's alive, and her family isn't. 

But as the people around her begin disappearing one by one, Mack realizes this competition is more sinister than even she imagined, and that together might be the only way to survive. 

Fourteen competitors. Seven days. Everywhere to hide, but nowhere to run. 

Come out, come out, wherever you are." Goodreads

Spear by Nicola Griffith

About:
"She left all she knew to find who she could be . . . 

She grows up in the wild wood, in a cave with her mother, but visions of a faraway lake drift to her on the spring breeze, scented with promise. And when she hears a traveler speak of Artos, king of Caer Leon, she decides her future lies at his court. So, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength, she breaks her covenant with her mother and sets out on her bony gelding for Caer Leon. 

With her stolen hunting spear and mended armour, she is an unlikely hero, not a chosen one, but one who forges her own bright path. Aflame with determination, she begins a journey of magic and mystery, love, lust and fights to death. On her adventures, she will steal the hearts of beautiful women, fight warriors and sorcerers, and make a place to call home. 

The legendary author of Hild returns with an unforgettable hero and a queer Arthurian masterpiece for the modern era. Nicola Griffith’s Spear is a spellbinding vision of the Camelot we've longed for, a Camelot that belongs to us all." Goodreads 

Have you read any of these books? What 2022 releases do you still want to read?

Mini-Review: Empire of Ice and Stone by Buddy Levy

Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk by Buddy Levy

St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: December 6th, 2022

Hardcover. 432 pages.

About Empire of Ice and Stone:

"The true, harrowing story of the ill-fated 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition and the two men who came to define it. 

In the summer of 1913, the wooden-hulled brigantine Karluk departed Canada for the Arctic Ocean. At the helm was Captain Bob Bartlett, considered the world’s greatest living ice navigator. The expedition’s visionary leader was a flamboyant impresario named Vilhjalmur Stefansson hungry for fame. 

Just six weeks after the Karluk departed, giant ice floes closed in around her. As the ship became icebound, Stefansson disembarked with five companions and struck out on what he claimed was a 10-day caribou hunting trip. Most on board would never see him again. 

Twenty-two men and an Inuit woman with two small daughters now stood on a mile-square ice floe, their ship and their original leader gone. Under Bartlett’s leadership they built make-shift shelters, surviving the freezing darkness of Polar night. Captain Bartlett now made a difficult and courageous decision. He would take one of the young Inuit hunters and attempt a 1000-mile journey to save the shipwrecked survivors. It was their only hope. 

Set against the backdrop of the Titanic disaster and World War I, filled with heroism, tragedy, and scientific discovery, Buddy Levy's Empire of Ice and Stone tells the story of two men and two distinctively different brands of leadership: one selfless, one self-serving, and how they would forever be bound by one of the most audacious and disastrous expeditions in polar history, considered the last great voyage of The Heroic Age of Discovery."

As someone who can't seem to get enough of reading about polar expeditions and stories of exploration in general (in any climate), I knew Empire of Ice and Stone would be a must-read for me as soon as I saw it. This is an incredible account of the Karluk's 1913 expedition  to the Arctic and the many trials that plagued the men on this journey, along with successes and triumphs in a variety of forms. 

What I liked: Buddy Levy's research for Empire of Ice and Stone is impeccable and he includes an incredibly thorough accounting of all components of the story, from backgrounds of prominent figures to the planning stages to the long, arduous journey itself. I thought Levy wove all of this information into a very coherent and engaging narrative that I found easy to follow along with. No matter how many polar or general exploration expeditions I read about, I will never fail to be dumbfounded by either the lack of planning or the response to the discovery of a problem as "eh, we'll be fine" that seems so common among these leaders (looking at you, Vilhjalmur Stefansson). I really enjoyed learning about Captain Bob Bartlett, and since I always love observing various leadership styles I was pleased to see that Levy highlighted this throughout the book. I also found myself fully invested in many of the people involved in these expedition because of how well Levy portrayed their personalities and actions while out on the ice, and this is part of what really made this book such a captivating story that made me feel as though I were out on the ice with them all (but not really, because that would suck, let's be honest). 

What I didn't like: I don't really have any complaints! I thought this was really compelling, well-written and researched, and because of that I'm not sure what to say as a negative. The expedition itself is pretty long and not always the most exciting, so I could see things maybe dragging a little bit at times, but I didn't find this to be much of an issue. 

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Review: Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Tinghui Zhang

Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Tinghui Zhang

Flatiron Books

Publication Date: April 5th/July 28th, 2022

Hardcover. 336 pages.

About Four Treasures of the Sky:

"Daiyu never wanted to be like the tragic heroine for whom she was named, revered for her beauty and cursed with heartbreak. But when she is kidnapped and smuggled across an ocean from China to America, Daiyu must relinquish the home and future she imagined for herself. 

Over the years that follow, she is forced to keep reinventing herself to survive. From a calligraphy school, to a San Francisco brothel, to a shop tucked into the Idaho mountains, we follow Daiyu on a desperate quest to outrun the tragedy that chases her. 

As anti-Chinese sentiment sweeps across the country in a wave of unimaginable violence, Daiyu must draw on each of the selves she has been - including the ones she most wants to leave behind - in order to finally claim her own name and story. 

At once a literary tour de force and a groundbreaking work of historical fiction, Four Treasures of the Sky announces Jenny Tinghui Zhang as an indelible new voice. Steeped in untold history and Chinese folklore, this novel is a spellbinding feat."

(*I included both the UK [left] and US [right] covers because I usually include the cover of the edition I read, which was the UK edition, but I also love the US one so wanted to include it as well!)

Four Treasures of the Sky is a story that hit me much harder than I could have anticipated. This is a tragically beautiful story of historical fiction that I think is a must-read and that I found myself almost unable to put down while I was reading it. 

In the beginning of the story, Daiyu tells of how her name is taken from a mythical story of a girl named Daiyu whose fate ends in tragedy. Daiyu is determined not to let her name determine her own fate, and tries her best to avoid it–even though life seems to be doing anything it can to thwart this by throwing obstacle after obstacle into her path. We follow Daiyu over the course of her life, from her struggles in China to her kidnapping to California and eventual escape to Idaho. We meet the many different characters she meets, from the good to the bad to everything in between, and we unfortunately see many different acts of devastation and loss, as well as moments of hope and accomplishment. 

This is one of those books where the protagonist is hit with so much adversity at almost every step of the way that you almost start to wonder how they are able to stay filled with some level of optimism and desire for a better future. But this is how Daiyu shines and acts as an incredible symbol of inspiration and hope that you can take control of your own life and make of it what you can. Zhang's writing allowed me to feel like I was with Daiyu every step of the way, doing my best to understand everything she endured and ceaselessly rooting for her. 

Zhang's writing is stunning and flows almost effortlessly. This is one of those books that does not usual quotations marks for dialogue, so if that is something that bothers you it might be worth knowing going into it. I don't mind this style and thought it worked really well for the story. I liked how Zhang would interweave occasional tales from myth and incorporated a sense of magic at times into the story.

Four Treasures of the Sky also shows the treatment of Chinese people in America in the nineteenth century and during the time of the Chinese Exclusion Act. I think that many people may be generally aware of the discrimination and hatred that was displayed towards the Chinese, but I agree with the author's note that much of the details and long-lasting effects are not often taught enough or are not observed as much as other aspects of America's history. I really liked how well this book showcased this period of time and how truly horrifying it was for Chinese people in America. I also appreciated that the author included a great list of books for reference in the author's note for further information into this history, and I intend to look up some of those books now to read more. 

There are a lot of themes explored in Four Treasures of the Sky, from overcoming obstacles and learning one's strengths to trying to stay true to yourself and doing what's right. But the theme that stuck out the most to me was that of agency, and especially agency in relation to being haunted by our names or something "predetermined" or already chosen by our past. I think it's easy to overlook how much influence passive choices and acceptance can affect our lives, and I found it very poignant and compelling to see how Daiyu actively fought against this and refused to let anything else control her life–even when she was constantly forced to do things against her will. For Daiyu, it was more than just the shadow of her name haunting her throughout life, it was the fact that she was constantly put into positions that left her feeling powerless and lacking any agency in the actions of her own life. Because of this, she took every opportunity she had to develop her own agency and live her life the best she could given the circumstances she was placed into, and this is what I think really resonated the most with me. 

Overall, I've given Four Treasures of the Sky five stars. Zhang's prose is absolutely stunning and manages to tell one of the most beautiful and tragic stories I've read in some time. If you are looking for a historical fiction novel that you can really lose yourself in and that has a strong, compelling protagonist and consistent pacing, as well as incredible insights into a very difficult period of time and the struggles that many Chinese faced in America. 

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org