What I Liked

This is a beautifully written novel. I was captivated from the moment I read the first page. I would have finished the book in a single sitting if I had not been reading during my lunch break from work.

The Chinese culture of the 19th century was still so separate from the Western culture, to the point that much of it seems terrible. Yet this was how a people lived - what they valued, the way that they treated each other, and it was beautiful to them.

I am thankful for the opportunity to learn more about historical China, as I didn't know about nu shu or laotongs. For that matter, I knew very little about foot binding... and I withered and died inside the more I read about it.

What I Didn't Like
Okay, this might be a silly complaint, but this is too sad. I wasn't left feeling good or nostalgic or reflective. After I turned the last page, I only felt a little sick, a little broken.

Why write a book like this?

Why?