A Concubine for the Family: A Family Saga in China

KIRKUS REVIEW
In 1937, Purple Jade contemplates her lotus feet. "No one calls them golden lilies anymore. Now they are only tiny feet." But Purple Jade has other concerns: There is the unsettling influence of American and European "West Ocean Devils," internal strife between the Nationalists and Communists, and an impending Japanese invasion . . . Kwei details Chinese traditions and the fascinating but evanescent world as only someone steeped in the old ways could. An adept stylist and storyteller, Kwei weaves with simplicity this tale of upper-class China in upheaval . . . The "book-fragrant" and scholarly Huangs lack a male heir . . . Purple Jade gets her husband a concubine . . . she is "not sure if a foreigner could ever savor the heart-swelling glory of 'giving face,' and subjecting oneself to 'virtue.'" Kwei artfully reveals the practices and attitudes of Old China. AN ENGAGING FAMILY SAGA BY A TALENTED STORYTELLER.